as in crises
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking points
Noun
-
This broader competition is already reshaping how countries respond to crises.—
Derek Chollet,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026 -
There are always crises to manage and factions to pacify.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have each worked hard to be seen as the crossroads for business, politics and innovation, hosting global sporting events from Formula 1 to high-stakes boxing championships and top-tier golf tournaments.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Shoulder surgery and a months-long rehab at this point in his career puts him at a crossroads, but the early signals from his recovery look positive.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The intense temperature and pressure of the impact heated the moon's crust and mantle so much that many of the volatile elements present (volatiles are elements with low boiling points), including potassium, evaporated and escaped into space.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Thermodynamics drives selective recovery The researchers hypothesized that FJH combined with chlorine gas could exploit differences in Gibbs free energy and boiling points to selectively remove non-REE elements from magnet waste.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On September 30th, a few days after the attack, Loomer called out Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai, the heads of Apple and Google, for making such programs available.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The players in this for the long haul — Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones, Patrick Williams and Giddey — are still wrapping their heads around the next steps for a rebuild.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But more potential flash points loom.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Policymakers expect other flash points.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Breaking points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20points. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
