the brink

noun

: the edge at the top of a steep cliff

—usually used figuratively to refer to a point that is very close to the occurrence of something very bad or (less commonly) very good

He nearly lost everything because of his drug addiction, but his friends helped to pull him back from the brink.

The two nations are on the brink of war.

Doctors may be on the brink of finding a cure for this disease.

an animal that has been brought/pulled back from the brink of extinction

Examples of the brink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Jennifer Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, and their son Charlie (Fegley) starves for a sense of stability as their family is threatened. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 July 2026

Traditional change models often push teams to the brink, creating deep organizational fatigue and burnout. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

When Culp took the helm in 2018, the colossal conglomerate that Jack Welch built into the most valuable and admired enterprise in America teetered on the brink of collapse. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Lambert has brought this beleaguered staff back from the brink and helped position Houston as buyers at the trade deadline. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Rhymes for the brink

• bethink
• downlink
• groupthink
• hoodwink
• rethink
• uplink
• blink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink