brink
Americannoun
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the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water.
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any extreme edge; verge.
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a crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs.
We were on the brink of war.
noun
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the edge, border, or verge of a steep place
the brink of the precipice
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the highest point; top
the sun fell below the brink of the hill
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the land at the edge of a body of water
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the verge of an event or state
the brink of disaster
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of brink
1250–1300; Middle English brink < Old Norse ( Danish ) brink, cognate with MLG brink edge, hillside, Old Norse brekka slope, hill
Explanation
The brink of something is the very edge of it. If you want to give your mom a good scare, stand on the brink of a steep cliff and slowly lean forward. The noun brink describes the edge of a steep drop-off or slope, or the edge of a boundary marking where something begins, like the brink of a pond. Brink also describes the figurative edge or start of something. Nations on the brink of war are very close to mobilizing troops; if you are on the brink of losing your temper, you might try walking away or slowly counting to ten.
Vocabulary lists containing brink
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Tuck Everlasting
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"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In “The Permanent Problem,” Brink Lindsey contends that capitalism has “delivered” in providing mass abundance, but now that “the task is to convert material plenty into widespread spiritual riches, it is floundering.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
That’s the Brink that the Sparks were hoping for this season, and the version of the third-year center they fully expect to shine.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
What could really separate the Sparks from the rest of the league, though, would be if Brink plays to her full potential as a sixth player.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
“I definitely feel like I have an understanding for just the speed of the game, the nuances and what we’re doing,” Brink said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
When Brink hung up, Fitzgerald had a look of zestful anticipation on his face.
From The Ambulance Made Two Trips by Leinster, Murray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
