flash point

noun

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Examples: flash point in a Sentence

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 2

See flash point defined for English-language learners

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 of flash point from the Web

The historians arrive in the nation’s capital at a time when many of 1968’s flash points still consume the country, including race, political polarization, war and America’s standing in the world.

— michael s. rosenwald, Washington Post, "1968’s chaos: The assassinations, riots and protests that defined our world," 1 Jan. 2018
The Homestead shelter, run by a private Florida contractor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has become a flash point in an uproar over President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.

— alex leary and steve bousquet, miamiherald, "Who's holding immigrants in Florida? Private vendors, feds and county sheriffs, too.," 29 June 2018
The meeting — three weeks before a statewide teacher activism movement heightened public awareness of low teacher pay — was a flash point for a community that has long been frustrated over the district's direction.

— ricardo cano, azcentral, "'We're asking for help': State will take over dysfunctional Murphy school district," 25 June 2018
Her death and the death last month of bicycle courier Pablo Avendano, 34, have become flash points in a push for protected bike lanes in Philadelphia.

— joseph a. gambardello, Philly.com, "Bicyclist killed by dump truck in North Philadelphia," 22 June 2018
The three clubs, still talked about nearly 40 years later, became flash points for the San Francisco punk scene and its DIY ethos that continues to influence independent art, culture and business in the Bay Area and beyond.

— peter hartlaub, SFChronicle.com, "Lost SF punk rock photos surface: Temple Beautiful, Mabuhay and Deaf Club," 15 June 2018
The new policy has significantly increased the number children being separated from their parents, which has become an emotional flash point in the national debate over immigration.

— eli rosenberg, chicagotribune.com, "So many immigrants are being arrested that ICE is going to transfer 1,600 to federal prisons," 8 June 2018
The light sculpture encompasses the top six floors of the tower, which are unoccupied and were built as an architectural flash point that also ensures that the tower is the tallest in the city.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "Atop Salesforce Tower, one of the world’s highest works of public art comes to light," 20 May 2018
The shooting became a flash point in the debate over the use of deadly force in policing and sparked calls for better training on how police interact with people who are homeless and might be mentally ill.

— alene tchekmedyian, latimes.com, "LAPD officers are found liable in skid row shooting death of Charly 'Africa' Keunang," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flash point.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.