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

Over the past few decades, this simple product has helped to bring millions of children back from the brink of starvation. —Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

The Charlotte 49ers were on the brink of pulling out a season-changing upset through three quarters against North Texas (7-1, 3-1 American), but a dreadful fourth quarter brought Tim Albin’s upset hopes crashing down, losing 54-20 in a Friday night blowout. —Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2025

Bigelow, long drawn to systems on the brink and the people within them, turns her gaze here toward the largely invisible architectures meant to keep the United States (and, by some extension, the world) safe from nuclear catastrophe. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025

Pollution, habitat loss and a pandemic-level fungus have brought countless species to the brink as researchers rush to find ways to protect the sensitive creatures. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025