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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The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce released a comprehensive binational report Wednesday outlining a five-pillar strategy to address the Tijuana River contamination crisis, a problem that has plagued South San Diego County communities for decades.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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The conflict, which has raged on despite a truce brokered by the United States and Qatar, has sparked a huge humanitarian crisis, with at least 7 million people displaced.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 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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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Three glide bombs struck the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Tuesday.—
HANNA ARHIROVA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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