brinkmanship

Also brinks·man·ship

[bringk-muhn-ship]

noun

1. the technique or practice of maneuvering a dangerous situation to the limits of tolerance or safety in order to secure the greatest advantage, especially by creating diplomatic crises.

brinkmanship

/ ˈbrɪŋkmənˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the art or practice of pressing a dangerous situation, esp in international affairs, to the limit of safety and peace in order to win an advantage from a threatening or tenacious foe

brinkmanship

1. The policy of a nation that pushes a dangerous situation to the limits of safety (the “brink”) before pulling back; an aggressive and adventurous foreign policy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of brinkmanship¹

brink + -manship, by analogy with sportsmanship, gamesmanship, etc.; coined by Adlai E.Stevenson in 1956, criticizing the foreign policy of John Foster Dulles

Example Sentences

Opinion polls suggest voters believe Republicans shoulder slightly more of the blame, while Democrats were bitterly split by the brinkmanship.

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It rewards Beijing’s brinkmanship and undercuts U.S. credibility with Asian allies.

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To top it all off, he wants to renew nuclear weapons testing — further poisoning the earth and bringing us back to nuclear brinkmanship.

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Russia is especially belligerent in its nuclear flight testing and brinkmanship.

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The policy is a form of miscalculated brinkmanship.

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