PoliticsAugust 20, 2026

brinksmanship

BRINKS-mən-ship

Definition

The practice of pushing a dangerous situation or negotiation to the very limit of safety or success in order to force an opponent to make concessions.

Etymology

Derived from the phrase 'brink of war,' the term emerged in the mid-1950s during the Cold War to describe diplomatic strategies that intentionally pushed a situation to the verge of conflict.

In the news

The article describes the KwaZulu-Natal Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) as a success because it has avoided the intense political brinksmanship that has destabilized other coalition arrangements in South Africa.

The Other, Other GNU

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The Common Sense

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