as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
tensions between the two nations had risen to the breaking point
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Recent Examples of breaking point
The breaking point of the Chiefs’ season came a week before they were eliminated from playoff contention, and a week before quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a knee injury that will now occupy his offseason.
—
Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
What was the breaking point that led you to that decision?
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
With talks getting nowhere, Parsons' growing frustrations reached their breaking point during training camp.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Next to the Comet, the de Haviland museum displays a section of fuselage that was tested to breaking point.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
What was the breaking point that led you to that decision?
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
With talks getting nowhere, Parsons' growing frustrations reached their breaking point during training camp.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Next to the Comet, the de Haviland museum displays a section of fuselage that was tested to breaking point.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking point
Noun
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Meanwhile, the property sector has entered its fifth year of crisis with sales and investment continuing to slump, dragging the economy and weighing down consumer confidence as well as spending.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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The police department's crisis management group, which includes members of the SWAT team and crisis negotiations team, responded to the scene as well.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Newsom’s frustration reached a boiling point over claims about the state’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires last year.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Later in the half, acting head coach Jacque Vaughn, who also stepped in to coach earlier this year when Self missed a game due to a health scare, received a technical.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Another blow in a broader battle The Kansas law is a flash point in the ongoing battle across the country for legal recognition of trans and nonbinary people’s existence.—
Noelle Martin,
The Conversation,
1 Mar. 2026
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This year, the island is a flash point once again.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20point. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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