flash point
noun
1
: the lowest temperature at which vapors above a volatile combustible substance ignite in air when exposed to flame
2
: a point at which someone or something bursts suddenly into action or being
Examples of flash point in a Sentence
The city became a flash point as political tensions grew.
The situation reached a flash point when union leaders urged the workers to protest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Whereas the fault lines of the Cold War were in Germany, the flash points of today’s conflict with Russia are in Ukraine and other post-Soviet states on Russia’s western periphery.
—
Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024
Officials tasked with securing the release of the hostages see nationality as a potential flash point.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023
Grok’s release, then, marks not only a flash point in a battle between companies but also, perhaps, a turning point across the industry.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024
In East Jerusalem, members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government have threatened to limit access to the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest places and a traditional flash point for Israeli-Palestinian clashes.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
How did McDonald’s become a new flash point in the Israel-Gaza war?
—Niha Masih, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
The issue of scanning deputies on their way into working at jails has become something of a flash point as people have continued to die in custody at alarming rates.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024
Similar regulations are needed for technologies that have broader security implications and that have become flash points in Washington’s competition with Beijing.
—Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
The holy month, which begins this year at sundown on Sunday, is celebrated by Muslims around the world as a time for religious gatherings and prayer but has historically been a flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024
Officials tasked with securing the release of the hostages see nationality as a potential flash point.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023
Grok’s release, then, marks not only a flash point in a battle between companies but also, perhaps, a turning point across the industry.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024
In East Jerusalem, members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government have threatened to limit access to the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest places and a traditional flash point for Israeli-Palestinian clashes.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
How did McDonald’s become a new flash point in the Israel-Gaza war?
—Niha Masih, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
The issue of scanning deputies on their way into working at jails has become something of a flash point as people have continued to die in custody at alarming rates.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024
Similar regulations are needed for technologies that have broader security implications and that have become flash points in Washington’s competition with Beijing.
—Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
The holy month, which begins this year at sundown on Sunday, is celebrated by Muslims around the world as a time for religious gatherings and prayer but has historically been a flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flash point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flash point
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash%20point. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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