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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nonetheless, migration has become a flash point. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 Arrests are taking place all over the Chicago area, but some of the biggest flash points have occurred on the South and West Sides, which are home to many of the city’s largest Black and Latino communities. Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025 Abdel Kareem Hana / AP The issue of returning the remains of the hostages has become a potential flash point and could threaten the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Rebecca Shabad, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025 Sports is a flash point in the NBCU-YouTube talks, which are preceding a major carriage renewal with Disney ahead of a late-October deadline. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flash point

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flash point was in 1878

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Cite this Entry

“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash%20point. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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