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
In the first round of the playoffs, they were pushed to the brink of collapse by the up-and-coming Detroit Pistons, led by the big, fluid, democratic passer Cade Cunningham.
—
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Vancouver’s minor-league affiliate pushed the Colorado Eagles to the brink of elimination by taking a 2-1 lead in this best-of-five series after a thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win on Wednesday.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness.
—Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
Adkins' story illustrates how nearly half of America's states are on the brink of a caregiving emergency, with the worst conditions being in the South.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 May 2025
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Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Vancouver’s minor-league affiliate pushed the Colorado Eagles to the brink of elimination by taking a 2-1 lead in this best-of-five series after a thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win on Wednesday.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness.
—Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
Adkins' story illustrates how nearly half of America's states are on the brink of a caregiving emergency, with the worst conditions being in the South.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 May 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 29 May. 2025.
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