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
Once on the brink of extinction, the population has quadrupled to about 316,000 in the past decade.
—
Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025
In his early 20s and on the brink of stardom — signed to the indie label DEL Records — Camacho stood confidently in the middle of the stage with his band Los Plebes del Rancho with a pumping tuba that commanded attention and his mesmerizing requinto.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025
The waters destroyed 102 hotels, 198 homes, 65 businesses, the thermal complex, the casino, and the amphitheater, leaving Miramar on the brink of collapse.
—Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 25 Feb. 2025
Between the lines: Hooters of America, the company on the brink of bankruptcy that owns most Hooters locations, has struggled amid a declining customer base and increasing costs, Bloomberg reported.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025
In his early 20s and on the brink of stardom — signed to the indie label DEL Records — Camacho stood confidently in the middle of the stage with his band Los Plebes del Rancho with a pumping tuba that commanded attention and his mesmerizing requinto.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025
The waters destroyed 102 hotels, 198 homes, 65 businesses, the thermal complex, the casino, and the amphitheater, leaving Miramar on the brink of collapse.
—Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 25 Feb. 2025
Between the lines: Hooters of America, the company on the brink of bankruptcy that owns most Hooters locations, has struggled amid a declining customer base and increasing costs, Bloomberg reported.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 25 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2025.
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