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 Thunder are on the brink of setting an NBA record for point differential.
—
Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Standing at the brink of success with the weight of the last five years on his shoulders, Auriemma dreaded another fall.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2025
While the humpback chub had been taken off the endangered list in 2021 thanks to conservation efforts, the Humpback Chubs were on the brink of extinction before they were even born.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether or not de-extinction could theoretically offer future benefits for species on the brink may be the wrong question.
—Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Standing at the brink of success with the weight of the last five years on his shoulders, Auriemma dreaded another fall.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2025
While the humpback chub had been taken off the endangered list in 2021 thanks to conservation efforts, the Humpback Chubs were on the brink of extinction before they were even born.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether or not de-extinction could theoretically offer future benefits for species on the brink may be the wrong question.
—Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 10 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share