as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
tensions between the two nations had risen to the breaking point
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Recent Examples of breaking point
Separate research has shown that half of workers are at breaking point right now.
—
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
For English club teams and the national side, there is a sense that players are at breaking point.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
What was the breaking point in both of those relationships?
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Windows is at breaking point, and Microsoft knows it.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
For English club teams and the national side, there is a sense that players are at breaking point.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
What was the breaking point in both of those relationships?
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Windows is at breaking point, and Microsoft knows it.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breaking point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking point
Noun
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As Hal witnesses crisis and inequality firsthand, the line between observing and acting begins to blur.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Like, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch nearing a boiling point.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Their feud was the focus of tabloid gossip for much of 2025 but reached a boiling point late last year after his wedding.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The reason, an official with knowledge of the meeting plans said, is because King Charles is a head of state, rather than a head of government.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Matt Small, who is in his first season as Lincoln-Way Central’s head coach, was an assistant at Homewood-Flossmoor.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For the past 13 years, Maricopa County in Arizona has attempted to reform its sheriff’s department after Joe Arpaio made it into a national flash point for extreme immigration tactics.—
Jonathan van Harmelen,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The killing has become a flash point in a wider crackdown across the Persian Gulf.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20point. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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