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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking points
Noun
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Alarmingly, in simulated war games designed to mirror Cold-War-style nuclear crises, AI models overwhelmingly escalated toward nuclear options, choosing tactical nuclear action in 95% of scenarios and rarely opting for de-escalation.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026 -
Even gold was caught up in the selling frenzy, odd for a safe haven asset usually turned to during times of crises.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Several teams around the league appear to be at a crossroads of sorts, and there could be opportunities this summer as a result.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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Davion Mitchell has been here before, the risk-reward crossroads between going full speed, shoulder first through a hard screen or practicing prudence.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Their focus on youth in recruitment demands that older heads (in relative terms, at least — Neto and Fernandez are 25) can alleviate the pressure while players adjust to Chelsea and, in Gittens’ case, the Premier League.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Trump now heads to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, for a weekend of political meetings and fundraisers, stopping at a Whataburger fast-food chain en route to the airport.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But more potential flash points loom.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Policymakers expect other flash points.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Breaking points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20points. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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