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
But for Oasis’s first show back from the brink, donning band gear is less a prerequisite than a status symbol.
—
Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025
After trading Rafael Devers, the team looks to be on the brink of selling hard this season.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Southern California steelhead trout have been pushed to the brink of extinction as their river habitats have been disrupted by barriers and dams.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
On the brink of leaving Lebanon and his Happy Pig costume for good, Chady’s plans are thrown off course by an unexpected encounter.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025
After trading Rafael Devers, the team looks to be on the brink of selling hard this season.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
The Southern California steelhead trout have been pushed to the brink of extinction as their river habitats have been disrupted by barriers and dams.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
On the brink of leaving Lebanon and his Happy Pig costume for good, Chady’s plans are thrown off course by an unexpected encounter.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 30 June 2025
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 12 Jul. 2025.
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