1
as in volcanoes
a potentially explosive place or situation
that troubled region remains one of the world's most dangerous flash points
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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
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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
-
Audiences will witness how life finds a way to survive on a planet where meteors fall, super volcanoes erupt, seas boil and the land moves.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
Its dark terrain is constantly changing due to lava flows from Kilauea or Mauna Loa – two of the most active volcanoes in the world, according to the National Park Service website.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The fire department now receives more than 110,000 calls each year for fires, medical crises and other emergencies, as the city confronts rising wildfire risks and an entrenched homelessness crisis that demands first responders’ attention.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
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There will also be increased MARTA staffing to help manage large crowds on the train platforms, and expansion of the MARTA Hope program which helps riders experiencing mental health crises, substance abuse or homelessness.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Argyle, a quiet community holding on to its rural roots, is at a crossroads with rapid growth and traffic congestion driving the need to widen FM 407, which goes through the town in southern Denton County.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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As complexities increase, that crossroads of simplicity and safety will continue to be a focal point — and tools like those created by CyberFOX will continue to stand out for maintaining ease of use, adaptability, and scalability, all without compromising on strong security.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 June 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
-
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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The batches were distilled between January 2015 and April 2016, the whiskey was aged for a full decade in char #4 barrels with char #3 heads, and it was bottled at 102 proof without chill filtration.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
13 June 2026
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Trump and other heads of government from G7 nations are expected to arrive on Monday in Évian-les-Bains, France, for this year's summit.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flash points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20points. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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