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

Indiana has an impressive road win at Oregon and was pushed to the brink at Penn State, but the real test is how the Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti stack up against a Buckeyes team that pummeled them 38-15 in Columbus last season. —The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025

Along with his older sister, North, and his two younger siblings, Chicago and Psalm, Saint has been featured in several photos shared by his mom, from birth to the brink of his preteen years. —Maria Yagoda, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025

By 2024, all of OV’s brick and mortar locations were shuttered, with the brand reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy. —Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 5 Dec. 2025

The third possibility is that extended conversations with chatbots are exacerbating the illness in those who are already experiencing or are on the brink of a mental-health disorder. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025