trigger point

noun

: a localized usually tender or painful area of the body and especially of a muscle that when stimulated gives rise to pain elsewhere in the body

Examples of trigger point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to sources, this trigger point came after Sorsby was being investigated by the NCAA for a number of bets through an online company. —Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026

The leadership challenge is not whether to prepare, but how to distinguish trigger points from theater before strategy bends around noise. —Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Carol Sutton Lewis: How ironic that a trigger point for this may have been the family's obvious lack of confidence in her ability to move forward. —Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026

Those thin trigger points are often found near rocks, below cliff bands, or in shallow areas where the snowpack is weaker. —Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1891, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trigger point

• counterpoint
• disappoint
• multipoint
• needlepoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint

Medical Definition

trigger point

noun

: a localized usually tender or painful area of the body and especially of a muscle that when stimulated gives rise to pain elsewhere in the body

A trigger point in the calf muscle can also cause discomfort or weakness in the heel or arch; a trigger point in the thigh may cause pain around the knee.

—Runner's World

called also trigger area, trigger zone