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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flash point
But community members and lawmakers said video evidence called into question that narrative, and her death became a flash point in the debate over federal immigration enforcement.
—
Bayliss Wagner, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Feb. 2026
The current contentious state of NCAA eligibility in college athletics has another courtroom flash point looming.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Bayliss Wagner, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Feb. 2026
The current contentious state of NCAA eligibility in college athletics has another courtroom flash point looming.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash point
Noun
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Terraces have built-in, hot spring-fed pools and all face over the canopy below, to the Arenal volcano.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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When adding the mulch, do not pile it up around the tree trunk to create the look of a volcano because that traps too much moisture and invites pests.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, the property sector has entered its fifth year of crisis with sales and investment continuing to slump, dragging the economy and weighing down consumer confidence as well as spending.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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The police department's crisis management group, which includes members of the SWAT team and crisis negotiations team, responded to the scene as well.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 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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Newsom’s frustration reached a boiling point over claims about the state’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires last year.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Later in the half, acting head coach Jacque Vaughn, who also stepped in to coach earlier this year when Self missed a game due to a health scare, received a technical.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 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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In crunch time, a boda boda or tuk-tuk can be the quickest means of dashing between venues in Lagos, Nairobi, Kampala, or Kigali.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20point. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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