Thesaurus results for FLASH POINTS

flash points

noun

plural of flash point

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

Relevance

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flash points The number of geopolitical flash points would multiply as governments rushed to grab their share of the oceans and protect their claims through force. — Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash points

Noun

An important hazard is also associated with the glaciers on the steep-sided volcanoes of the Cascade Range, which stretches from California to Washington.

— Andrew Fountain, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Trace Hawai‘i’s Volcanoes At Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, trails and scenic drives cross landscapes shaped by Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world’s most active volcanoes.

— Kevin Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of volcanoes

Noun

French government bonds again sold off on growing concern that cascading political and fiscal crises would hammer the EU’s second-biggest economy and potentially ripple across the bloc.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
The relationship between financial crises and imperial strategy preoccupied Marxist scholars for more than a century.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of crises

Noun

As Hedda Gabler warned, bored women are time bombs whose agitation puts everyone at risk.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of time bombs

Noun

Criss’ proposal to put financial limits on the Hope Scholarship program came as West Virginia public schools arrived at a dangerous crossroads.

— Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
But after the recent mega-sale of much of his Wynwood portfolio to hedge fund executive Ken Griffin, Mana is at a crossroads.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of crossroads

Noun

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

Definition of boiling points

Noun

His aunt, Leslee Frye, is a professor for psychology and is also one of the heads of the foundation.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Measuring 84 inches by 84 inches, the bright orange canvas responds to Leonardo da Vinci’s grotesque heads, a series of ink sketches made between the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of heads

Browse Nearby Words

flash point

flash points

flashy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flash points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20points. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flash points

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

disparate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes