brink

noun

ˈbriŋk How to pronounce brink (audio)
Synonyms of brink
1
: edge
especially : the edge at the top of a steep place
2
: a bank especially of a river
3
: the point of onset : verge
on the brink of war
4
: the threshold of danger

Synonyms of brink

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of brink in a Sentence

was at the brink of death when the rescuers arrived
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Timberwolves’ season, again, faces a brink. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 9 May 2026 But with the Trojans on the very brink of the tournament bubble, time is quickly running out on that possibility. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026 Ironically, a hiring surge of factotums has helped push San Diego to the financial brink. — Kate Callen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026 Iran peace deal or not, so many farmers in the Heartland were already going into 2026 on the financial brink. — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for brink

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse brekka slope; akin to Middle Dutch brink grassland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brink was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing brink

Rhymes for brink

See All Rhymes for brink

Browse Nearby Words

brinjarry
brink
brinkmanship
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brink. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

brink

noun
ˈbriŋk How to pronounce brink (audio)
1
: the edge at the top of a steep place
2
: a point of beginning : verge
on the brink of war

More from Merriam-Webster on brink

Nglish: Translation of brink for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All