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

Cuba provides free, universal healthcare, but the system has been pushed to the brink as a result of resource shortages, fuel scarcity and power outages that can last more than 20 hours. —ABC News, 15 June 2026

On the brink of elimination, the Spurs would learn from their self-immolation and grow a strategic brain to match their undeniable skills. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

New York is on the brink of winning its first NBA title in 53 years, thanks to a full team effort. —Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

Three of these a day over the course of several weeks can bring a child back from the brink. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 13 June 2026

Rhymes for the brink

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