Synonyms of flash points

flash points

noun

plural of flash point

1

as in volcanoes

a potentially explosive place or situation

that troubled region remains one of the world's most dangerous flash points

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volcanoes
• time bombs
• powder kegs
• hot buttons
• third rails
• tinderboxes

2

as in crises

a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action

tensions between the two longtime adversaries were at a flash point

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crises
• crossroads
• boiling points
• heads
• breaking points
• situations
• emergencies
• crunch times
• extremities
• exigencies
• clutches
• points of no return
• Dunkirks
• zero hours
• moments of truth
• crunches
• turning points
• conjunctures
• junctures
• possibilities
• tinderboxes
• milestones
• predicaments
• contingencies
• conditions
• climaxes
• hot waters
• landmarks
• happenings
• corners
• straits
• passes
• last minutes
• spots
• holes
• jams
• fixes
• last ditches
• deadlocks
• scrapes
• impasses
• pinches
• eleventh hours
• stalemates

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flash points

The dispute over the route became one of the defining flash points of the conflict in Northern Ireland. — Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

And it’s been one of the country’s most visible flash points in the race to build new critical-mineral mines. — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026

Kashmir remains one of the world’s most contentious geopolitical flash points. — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026

Amid noise, close quarters, and rigid routines, interactions become flash points. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026

The context for Xi’s remarks was a potential war between China and the United States over Taiwan, and the urgency to tamp down flash points. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 17 May 2026

Despite the focus on the Middle East, the leaders took up major regional flash points, including the South China Sea territorial disputes involving Beijing, a five-year civil war in Myanmar and a recent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. — Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

Policymakers expect other flash points. — Alan Greenblatt, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

And a handful of standout horror films from around the ’70s, Johnson argues, specifically mirrored and even accelerated feminist flash points at a moment when public opinion regarding the roles and rights of women was wildly in flux. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025