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point of no return

noun phrase

1
: the point in the flight of an aircraft beyond which the remaining fuel will be insufficient for a return to the starting point with the result that the craft must proceed
2
: a critical point at which turning back or reversal is not possible
If you signed the contract, you already reached the point of no return.

Examples of point of no return in a Sentence

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.
By then, Orvis had already begun transforming his massive property into a paradise for the point of no return. Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 The third episode acts as a point of no return, of sorts. Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025 For Kingsnorth, the Industrial Revolution marked the point of no return. Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 With the climate, these points of no return are specific moments when the planet has warmed so much that certain effects become irreversible. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for point of no return

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of point of no return was in 1941

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Cite this Entry

“Point of no return.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20of%20no%20return. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

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