brink·man·ship / ˈbringkmənˌship/ (also brinks·man·ship / ˈbringksmən-/ ) • n. the art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, typically in politics.

brinkmanship the art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics. The term derives from an interview in 1956 with the American international lawyer and politician John Foster Dulles (1888–1959), in which he said, ‘The ability to get to the verge without getting into the war is the necessary art…We walked to the brink and we looked it in the face.’