brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship 
variants
or less commonly brinksmanship
: the art or practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety especially to force a desired outcome
Examples of brinkmanship in a Sentence
two nations caught up in nuclear brinksmanship
Recent Examples on the Web
This brinkmanship requires careful choreography: states must learn how to pressure their adversaries just enough to shape their behavior without crossing thresholds that could trigger a significant response.
—
Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
As Israeli jets continued to pound Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, and Hezbollah extended its barrage of rocket fire ever deeper into Israeli territory, concerns grew that brinkmanship could tip the Middle East into a wider regional war.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Sep. 2024
In a game of brinkmanship against a nonnuclear state, the United States must send costly signals that demonstrate commitment and capability, such as retaliatory strikes or the deployment of aircraft carriers and submarines for long periods.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2024
The commission was founded nearly 40 years ago by Democrats and Republicans seeking to end the political brinkmanship and tiresome debate over debates that had become a regular part of presidential campaigning.
—Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for brinkmanship 
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.
Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
As Israeli jets continued to pound Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, and Hezbollah extended its barrage of rocket fire ever deeper into Israeli territory, concerns grew that brinkmanship could tip the Middle East into a wider regional war.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Sep. 2024
In a game of brinkmanship against a nonnuclear state, the United States must send costly signals that demonstrate commitment and capability, such as retaliatory strikes or the deployment of aircraft carriers and submarines for long periods.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2024
The commission was founded nearly 40 years ago by Democrats and Republicans seeking to end the political brinkmanship and tiresome debate over debates that had become a regular part of presidential campaigning.
—Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for brinkmanship
Dictionary Entries Near brinkmanship
Cite this Entry
“Brinkmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brinkmanship. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship
: the practice of pushing a dangerous situation to the limit of safety before stopping
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share