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
Separate research has shown that half of workers are at breaking point right now.
—
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
For English club teams and the national side, there is a sense that players are at breaking point.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
What was the breaking point in both of those relationships?
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Windows is at breaking point, and Microsoft knows it.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
For English club teams and the national side, there is a sense that players are at breaking point.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
What was the breaking point in both of those relationships?
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Windows is at breaking point, and Microsoft knows it.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking point
Noun
-
Iran is China’s largest trading partner in the Middle East, but China’s diverse energy sources have shielded it from the heavy economic toll and energy crisis that the war has caused for other countries in East Asia.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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In an indication this might not be a crisis after all, neither Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Giants manager Tony Vitello was asked about it during their respective pregame interview sessions Wednesday.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their feud was the focus of tabloid gossip for much of 2025 but reached a boiling point late last year after his wedding.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
As Bayern celebrated, Madrid’s anger reached a boiling point inside Munich’s Allianz Arena.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka should have his team defending with much more urgency, and Houston’s top frontcourt weapon is also likely to bounce back.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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But first things first, as Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf are busy sifting through candidates for the next head of basketball operations, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who listed several league executives and one super-agent the Reinsdorfs plan to interview.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The killing has become a flash point in a wider crackdown across the Persian Gulf.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Salvadoran national’s case has become a flash point in immigration debates after he was mistakenly deported last year and forcibly brought back.—
Travis Loller,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20point. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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