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
The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first championship since 1973.
—
Brian Mahoney, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
If the San Antonio Spurs can’t pull out a win, the New York Knicks would be on the brink of a title.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 June 2026
His government pulled the country back from the brink of economic collapse and defeated the Shining Path and MRTA terrorist groups in an internal conflict that left more than 60,000 dead, according to a truth and reconciliation commission.
—Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The person sitting across the table could be the millionaire next door, or on the brink of bankruptcy.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Brian Mahoney, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
If the San Antonio Spurs can’t pull out a win, the New York Knicks would be on the brink of a title.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 June 2026
His government pulled the country back from the brink of economic collapse and defeated the Shining Path and MRTA terrorist groups in an internal conflict that left more than 60,000 dead, according to a truth and reconciliation commission.
—Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The person sitting across the table could be the millionaire next door, or on the brink of bankruptcy.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brink
Cite this Entry
“The brink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brink. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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