flash point

noun

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Examples: flash point in a Sentence

Definition of flash point

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

There are a few reasons Democrats are trying to use these two issues as flash points, according to a source familiar with Democrats’ thinking.

— li zhou, Vox, "Schumer faces the most important Supreme Court fight for Democrats in a generation," 6 July 2018
Cyprus has been one of the most dangerous flash points between rivals Turkey and Greece for years now—originally under British rule, Cyprus became an independent country in 1960.

— ian bremmer, Time, "The Alternative World Cup You Might Have Missed This Summer," 22 June 2018
No single issue is more politically fraught and vexing for Republicans than immigration, and the latest flash point is exposing the divisions.

— mike debonis and seung min kim, chicagotribune.com, "GOP moderates push immigration debate as White House and Ryan reopen talks," 17 May 2018
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

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.