1
as in volcano
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 crisis
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flash point
The incident became a flash point in ongoing debates over whether immigration officials had gone too far in detaining a young boy.
—
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
But more potential flash points loom.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
But, of course, schools were a frequent flash point during Emanuel’s mayoral tenure.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
But more potential flash points loom.
—Jill Lawless The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
But, of course, schools were a frequent flash point during Emanuel’s mayoral tenure.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash point
Noun
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Anyone who has been witness to the classic science fair project volcano knows that a mix of baking soda and vinegar creates an explosion.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
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The 103-room property began in 1991 with the vision of architect Jaime Mikowski who wanted to harness a portion of the Tabacón River for the purpose of wellness, and the result is Costa Rica’s finest thermal spa, ideally situated at the base of the Arenal volcano.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, city staff are also examining ways to provide regular and emergency assistance to Los Angeles restaurants, as well as provide additional support to legacy restaurants in financial crisis.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
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With the sick astronaut's identity still a secret, Fincke said at a news conference the space station's ultrasound machine came in handy during the medical crisis.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Furthermore, the failure to understand how dark-side behaviors undermine psychological safety and collective judgment in day-to-day decision-making contributes to the ticking time bomb problem noted earlier.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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And as the population continues to age, hundreds of millions could soon be leaving the workforce — a demographic crisis and ticking time bomb in one.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Over the last week, tensions between the Pentagon and artificial intelligence giant Anthropic have reached a boiling point.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
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These tensions reportedly reached a boiling point last week when, by its own admission, the BNRA fatally shot a PDF fighter in a dispute over a weapon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Over his last four seasons as head coach, including 2021 in New Orleans, Payton’s offense has not ranked inside the top 10 in points and yards.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
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Avtar had worked as the temple’s head cook for the last 23 years, and he was deeply involved in service to both the Sikh community and the Tracy area in general, Deep said.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What was the breaking point in both of those relationships?—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
23 Feb. 2026
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Our old country roads weren’t built for this volume, and the strain is reaching a breaking point.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the story accelerates in 2021, in crunch time for prospective World Cup cities, as FIFA officials toured 23 of them before picking 16.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Welcome to February’s gym crunch time, when winter sports teams such as basketball are busy with playoffs and spring sports teams such as volleyball are gearing up for the start of their season.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20point. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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