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 13-year-old Warsame, along with his mother and two blood siblings, boarded the last commercial flight out of Mogadishu as the Somali government teetered on the brink of collapse.
—
Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
The creator economy is on the brink of a revolution that will rewrite the playbook for anyone looking to build an audience and a livelihood through content.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
This story features six Angelenos on the brink of 30, photographed in their homes around L.A.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024
Its troops are under increasing pressure on the eastern frontlines, especially around the strategic city of Pokrovsk that is on the brink of falling to Russia.
—Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the brink 
Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
The creator economy is on the brink of a revolution that will rewrite the playbook for anyone looking to build an audience and a livelihood through content.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
This story features six Angelenos on the brink of 30, photographed in their homes around L.A.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024
Its troops are under increasing pressure on the eastern frontlines, especially around the strategic city of Pokrovsk that is on the brink of falling to Russia.
—Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the brink
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the brink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the brink
Cite this Entry
“The brink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brink. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share