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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flash points
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
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
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
Arrests are taking place all over the Chicago area, but some of the biggest flash points have occurred on the South and West Sides, which are home to many of the city’s largest Black and Latino communities.
—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Those efforts are now critical as AI and semiconductors become geopolitical flash points.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
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
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
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
Arrests are taking place all over the Chicago area, but some of the biggest flash points have occurred on the South and West Sides, which are home to many of the city’s largest Black and Latino communities.
—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Those efforts are now critical as AI and semiconductors become geopolitical flash points.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash points
Noun
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For those who want to take a day trip to hike in Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park—a little over an hour away—winter is ideal, with steady warm temperatures and a photogenic dusting of snow on the volcanoes.
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Darwin suspected that atolls formed when coral grew around volcanoes, creating a ring that remained when the volcano subsided.
Noun
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Famous fashion dolls Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) head to the Real World and deal with existential crises while things go goofily awry for the plastic folks in Barbie Land.
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New research reveals 80% of consumers learn about brand crises on social platforms, expecting swift, transparent engagement over traditional press releases.
Noun
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.
Noun
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How ‘The Ultimatum’ works The Ultimatum follows couples at a crossroads in their relationships.
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American wine has never enjoyed greater global credibility, but the industry faces historic crossroads today, grappling with oversupply, declining consumption and growing uncertainty about its future.
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.
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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.
Noun
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One couple slept on the grass with umbrellas over their heads and just two thin blankets for cover on what turned out to be a cooler night than expected following a London heatwave where temperatures soared to 95 degrees.
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Despite the lack of goals, the game was exciting with end-to-end runs and missed chances that left fans of both teams groaning and burying their heads in their hands.
Cite this Entry
“Flash points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20points. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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