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

3

: tinderbox sense 2

The city became a flash point as tensions grew.

Synonyms of flash point

• 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

Littrell's beachfront property has become a flash point in the beach battles. — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

Thus, the film, both as a history lesson and as a flash point of current politics, takes on a great responsibility and a grave one. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Another flash point has been whether Flock data can ultimately be used by federal immigration authorities. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Flock cameras have become the latest cultural flash point over the past several weeks as fears grow over their use to surveil the public. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026

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