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
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
Abdel Kareem Hana / AP The issue of returning the remains of the hostages has become a potential flash point and could threaten the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
—Rebecca Shabad, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
Sports is a flash point in the NBCU-YouTube talks, which are preceding a major carriage renewal with Disney ahead of a late-October deadline.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flash point
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
Abdel Kareem Hana / AP The issue of returning the remains of the hostages has become a potential flash point and could threaten the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
—Rebecca Shabad, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
Sports is a flash point in the NBCU-YouTube talks, which are preceding a major carriage renewal with Disney ahead of a late-October deadline.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flash point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash point
Noun
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Remember not to pile it up like a pyramid around the trunk of trees (this is also known as a mulch volcano).—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Mulch should not be piled around the stem of a woody shrub or the trunks of trees creating the look of a volcano.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Daisy Jones & the Six chronicles the rise and fall of a group fronted by two charismatic lead singers—Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne—and their journey from obscurity to fame, complete with romantic tensions, personal crises, and drug problems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Climate crisis supercharging typhoons The western Pacific is the most active tropical basin on Earth but global ocean temperatures have been at record levels for each of the last eight years.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Directed by Moses from a screenplay he co-wrote with Federico Sargentone and Katja Horvat, the film follows protagonist Ham, who wakes up with a time bomb on his chest.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
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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.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ross's affinity for McDaniel has been well-known, as rumors of his being fired reached a boiling point way ahead of the Dolphins' loss to the Ravens in Week 9.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Things reached a boiling point between Katie and Mike during the peak of the pandemic baking trend.—
Mara Santilli,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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,
6 Nov. 2025
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Experts say many multinational firms are adopting dual leadership models, where global business unit heads in India co-own strategy and product outcomes with their counterparts at headquarters.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Homelessness in California—and across America—has reached a breaking point.—
Michele Steeb,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
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The tension first reached a breaking point years earlier when her sister severed ties with their dad’s extended family.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When teams are fighting for home-court advantage or top-six seeds in their conference or even just trying to make the Play-In Tournament, this early-season execution in crunch time will provide a massive advantage or disadvantage.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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In crunch time, stability teamed with chaos to close out the Lakers as LeBron James watched from his seat on the sideline.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20point. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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