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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of breaking point
Windows is at breaking point, and Microsoft knows it.
—
Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
Harbaugh, in 18 years, won a Super Bowl, and the Ravens were perennially in the playoff picture, but his inability to beat a Steelers’ squad in a game in which his tight end dropped a two-point conversion, and his rookie kicker missed the game-winning field goal, was the breaking point.
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
Harbaugh, in 18 years, won a Super Bowl, and the Ravens were perennially in the playoff picture, but his inability to beat a Steelers’ squad in a game in which his tight end dropped a two-point conversion, and his rookie kicker missed the game-winning field goal, was the breaking point.
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking point
Noun
-
South Korea still plans to phase out use of coal, but the recent moves could outlast the crisis, Kim said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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The carrier recently parked 20 aircraft in Teruel Airport in Spain, a site typically used for long-term storage in crisis periods like the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Inside these trains, natural gas is purified and cooled to about –260 degrees Fahrenheit (–162 degrees Celsius), below the boiling point of methane.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Mar. 2026
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For many in the sport, frustrations are at an all-time boiling point.—
Chris Marshall-Bell,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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,
25 Mar. 2026
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Four younger men were tied up, with black bags covering their heads, and taken to a helicopter, the complaint said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the years since, gun control has continued to be a flash point, but there have been moves in the right direction.—
Kamye Hugley,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
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Artificial intelligence — which has been a flash point among creatives in Hollywood — has also been a talking point among the academy and its members.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20point. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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