two nations caught up in nuclear brinksmanship

Recent Examples on the Web

Johnson’s brinkmanship may yet work and result in a more lasting political fix. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, "The Great British Humbling," 15 Sep. 2020

Trump and Democrats have been locked in brinkmanship for years but often found ways to reach agreement on spending packages, including four bipartisan coronavirus relief bills in March and April. Anchorage Daily News, "Coronavirus relief talks collapse on Capitol Hill as Trump readies executive actions," 8 Aug. 2020

Our newest podcast tells a tale of nuclear brinkmanship, backroom politics, and science fiction. Washington Post, "SpaceX landing planned for the Gulf of Mexico," 2 Aug. 2020

The two sides have been unable to reach agreement despite an extended game of brinkmanship. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: UC notches a massive win in its quest to improve the scientific publishing model," 17 June 2020

Officials and analysts in South Korea saw the North as resorting to its characteristic brinkmanship to gain leverage over Washington, rather than giving up dialogue completely. BostonGlobe.com, "In a statement issued a day after bilateral talks broke down in Stockholm on Saturday, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said that it would not meet with US negotiators again until after Washington took “a substantial step” toward a “complete and irreversible withdrawal of hostile policy.”," 7 Oct. 2019

The prospect seemed real as recently as January, in a week of brinkmanship with Iran that followed the killing of an Iranian general. Dwight Stirling, The Conversation, "Trump treats the military as his own – and the troops could suffer," 2 Mar. 2020

After months of high-profile diplomatic brinkmanship by top Israeli officials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia pardoned Ms. Issachar in January. Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, "Russian Court Further Detains Ex-Marine on Charges His Family Calls False," 25 Feb. 2020

North Korea, meanwhile, appears to be heading back along a path of weapons tests and aggressive brinkmanship. Simon Denyer, Washington Post, "How Trump’s North Korea nuclear talks gambit came undone," 22 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brinkmanship.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.