Brinkmanship

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɪŋk.mən.ʃɪp/

Definitions

1. A strategy of escalating threats or actions to the verge of confrontation in order to compel an opponent to back down
2. The practice of deliberately advancing a risky negotiation or conflict scenario almost to the point of crisis to achieve a favorable outcome
3. A political or diplomatic approach involving provocative moves that bring a situation close to disaster as a means of leveraging advantage

Etymology: The brink is the border or edge of something, most vividly the lip of a cliff or the rim of a chasm. Standing there means being close to a fall, which gives the first half of the compound its sense of danger. The ending "-manship" attaches a sense of expertise, involvement or special standing to a noun, as in "sportsmanship" or "workmanship." Joined to "brink," it names a skill: approaching the edge without going over, and deliberately pushing a dispute almost to the point of crisis in order to win concessions from the other side.

Synonyms: risk-taking, political maneuvering