boiling point

noun

Definition of boiling pointnext
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action when the situation reached the boiling point, the President had no choice but to order out the National Guard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boiling point With the tension in the villa growing and reaching a boiling point following Casa Amor, Miller and Pessoa faced backlash over their takes on the latest Aftersun episode, which streamed on Saturday, June 26. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 June 2026 The vacuum lowers the boiling point of heavier fractions so they can be separated out easily. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 At the liquid’s boiling point, the molecules move vigorously enough to break the attractive forces holding them together, turning the substance into a gas. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 Speaking about the tumultuous relationship on a 2024 episode of SiriusXM's This Life of Mine with James Corden, Miller reflected on the boiling point between the scandalous affair and the chaos of the paparazzi and tabloids hounding them. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for boiling point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boiling point
  1. crisis
  2. breaking point
  3. head
  4. flash point
Noun
  • Unlike wealthy nations with the reserves and infrastructure to buffer the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, import-dependent economies are more vulnerable to immediate, cascading supply chain shocks.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Also in development at Netflix is a drama starring Lizzy Caplan as a crisis PR expert, which is also based on a New York Magazine article.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 July 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • Keep in mind, there is a breaking point.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Three of the Netherlands’ four goals came from this method, as Gakpo, Dumfries and Summerville stretched the Swedish defence to breaking point and opened up additional space in the middle.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Definition of breaking point
Noun
  • Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Special Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement that the charges come after the agency received a new file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 19 July 2026
  • The Nazis tried to take it from Rome during the Second World War, but failed after the head of the Italian Football Federation, Ottorino Barassi, hid it in a shoebox underneath his bed.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of head
Noun
  • For this spiritual succession is not merely a religious event, but a critical flash point amid a struggle for influence over a faith practiced by almost 500 million people worldwide.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Shakespeare’s haughty Roman war hero, revered on the battlefield yet reviled by hungry plebeians, becomes the flash point in a young democracy tearing itself apart over power and sacrifice.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of flash point

Browse Nearby Words

boiling over
boiling point
boiling points
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Cite this Entry

“Boiling point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boiling%20point. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boiling point

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boiling point

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