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

The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a flash point moment in modern international relations, with the world coming to North America at a time when global peace appears delicate. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Taiwan Taiwan remains perhaps the most concerning potential flash point. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

To add bike lanes, the city would need to remove parking, creating a flash point between bike safety and city connectivity on one hand and parking and accessibility on the other. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025

Surging demand for artificial intelligence is making these unassuming buildings the latest flash point of debate across the Charlotte region. —Charlotte Observer, 3 Dec. 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