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

3

: tinderbox sense 2

Synonyms

• volcano
• time bomb

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

Kirk's assassination on September 10 has become a major flash point. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025

Rhetoric about Taiwan, the most prominent flash point for Chinese sovereignty, is an example of the historical origins of the issue. —David C. Kang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2025

Early on, Feld became Chicago’s most divisive restaurant, a flash point for critics of highfalutin many-course tasting menus. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025

This is just the latest flash point in a controversial career for Suárez. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for flash point

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint