brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship 
variants
or less commonly brinksmanship
: the art or practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety especially to force a desired outcome
Examples of brinkmanship in a Sentence
two nations caught up in nuclear brinksmanship
Recent Examples on the Web
In June, the brinkmanship continued, as the D.N.C.’s rules and bylaws committee met again, this time deciding to allow New Hampshire Democrats until Sept. 1 to continue negotiating a plan for their primary.
—
Ross Barkan, New York Times, 5 July 2023
Biden has warned the political brinkmanship is playing into Moscow’s hands at a time when presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called into question the country’s dedication to defending its allies in NATO and around the world.
—Robert Hart, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Yet there is no good reason why the superpowers of our time, like their predecessors in the 1950s and 1960s, should endure 20 years of brinkmanship before having the détente phase of their cold war.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Bill Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in a statement that the political brinkmanship adds uncertainty to the economic outlook.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024
Even without firing a nuclear weapon, China could mobilize or brandish its missiles, bombers and submarines to warn other countries against the risks of escalating into brinkmanship.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) hours later admonished the speaker and Republicans for fiscal brinkmanship.
—Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
Nuclear brinkmanship is a dangerous game, particularly with an authoritarian leader such as Putin.
—Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2023
And while China’s full response will play out over months or years, China’s Taiwan affairs office said Saturday night that the election cannot change the direction of cross-strait relations, effectively ensuring that the dynamic of brinkmanship and stress will continue and most likely intensify.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024
Ross Barkan, New York Times, 5 July 2023
Biden has warned the political brinkmanship is playing into Moscow’s hands at a time when presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called into question the country’s dedication to defending its allies in NATO and around the world.
—Robert Hart, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Yet there is no good reason why the superpowers of our time, like their predecessors in the 1950s and 1960s, should endure 20 years of brinkmanship before having the détente phase of their cold war.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Bill Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in a statement that the political brinkmanship adds uncertainty to the economic outlook.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024
Even without firing a nuclear weapon, China could mobilize or brandish its missiles, bombers and submarines to warn other countries against the risks of escalating into brinkmanship.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) hours later admonished the speaker and Republicans for fiscal brinkmanship.
—Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
Nuclear brinkmanship is a dangerous game, particularly with an authoritarian leader such as Putin.
—Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2023
And while China’s full response will play out over months or years, China’s Taiwan affairs office said Saturday night that the election cannot change the direction of cross-strait relations, effectively ensuring that the dynamic of brinkmanship and stress will continue and most likely intensify.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brinkmanship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brinkmanship
Cite this Entry
“Brinkmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brinkmanship. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship
: the practice of pushing a dangerous situation to the limit of safety before stopping
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share