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
Cash-in refinance Minimum credit score: 620 Debt-to-income ratio: 36% to 50%
Home equity required: Varies
Short refinancing
Short refinancing is used to avoid foreclosure if a borrower is on the brink of defaulting.
—
Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Despite its superior firepower, the junta teeters on the brink of collapse.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Johnson joins the cast as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin who hopes she's found salvation when Jeremy hires her to complete the remaining books in a successful series that Verity is unable to finish after a mysterious accident.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Congress is in a familiar situation: on the brink of a government shutdown without a clear plan to avoid it.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
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Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Despite its superior firepower, the junta teeters on the brink of collapse.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Johnson joins the cast as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin who hopes she's found salvation when Jeremy hires her to complete the remaining books in a successful series that Verity is unable to finish after a mysterious accident.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Congress is in a familiar situation: on the brink of a government shutdown without a clear plan to avoid it.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the brink
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 31 Dec. 2024.
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