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
But the feud between the two men reached another flash point …—
Richard Lacayo
Richard Lacayo3
: tinderbox sense 2
The city became a flash point as tensions grew.
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
Death is often a flash point for communal anger.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2026
That’s a huge flash point in American society, far beyond this play.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The fund is quickly turning into a high-level flash point between the White House and a GOP Senate that has mostly put aside differences with the president.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 May 2026
The context for Xi’s remarks was a potential war between China and the United States over Taiwan, and the urgency to tamp down flash points.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flash point
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Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2026
That’s a huge flash point in American society, far beyond this play.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The fund is quickly turning into a high-level flash point between the White House and a GOP Senate that has mostly put aside differences with the president.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 May 2026
The context for Xi’s remarks was a potential war between China and the United States over Taiwan, and the urgency to tamp down flash points.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash%20point. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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