Definition of "brinkmanship" [brink•man•ship]

• The practice, especially in international politics, of seeking advantage by creating the impression that one is willing and able to push a highly dangerous situation to the limit rather than concede. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Dulles’s willingness to take risks, at least verbally, attached the word brinkmanship to him."
• "The stakes are high for both Harper and Ignatieff, and with the new polling numbers brinkmanship is inevitable."
• "So maybe Apple's anticompetitive brinkmanship is actually the best thing that could happen for everyone?"