brink

noun

ˈbriŋk 

1

: edge

especially : the edge at the top of a steep place

2

: a bank especially of a river

3

: the point of onset : verge

on the brink of war

4

: the threshold of danger

Synonyms

• cusp
• edge
• point
• threshold
• verge

Examples of brink in a Sentence

was at the brink of death when the rescuers arrived

Recent Examples on the Web

Back in Washington, congressional aides and White House officials have continued huddling in private all week, hoping to pull the country back from the fiscal brink. —Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 12 May 2023

Profligate spending and overly bullish fund-raising projections put the campaign on the financial brink after only two months. —Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse brekka slope; akin to Middle Dutch brink grassland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing brink

• brought/pulled back from the brink of
• on the brink of
• teetering on the brink/edge of
• the brink

Kids Definition

brink

noun

ˈbriŋk 

1

: the edge at the top of a steep place

2

: a point of beginning : verge

on the brink of war