flash point

noun

Definition of flash pointnext
1
as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation that troubled region remains one of the world's most dangerous flash points

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 point The legendary talk show vet takes EW inside the pop cultural flash point that was his and wife Connie Chung’s attempts in the early 1990s to have a child. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026 Amid noise, close quarters, and rigid routines, interactions become flash points. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026 Shakespeare’s haughty Roman war hero, revered on the battlefield yet reviled by hungry plebeians, becomes the flash point in a young democracy tearing itself apart over power and sacrifice. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The protests became a flash point, sparking similar incidents in several other cities in Tennessee and at least one in Florida. — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flash point
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flash point
  1. volcano
  2. crisis
  3. time bomb
  4. boiling point
  5. head
  6. breaking point
  7. crunch time
Noun
  • The eruption started Monday morning, with clouds of gas and ash rising above the volcano as lava and pyroclastic flows rolled down the slopes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In July, Roku made the city even more interactive with a new brand campaign that guides users to visit six themed areas featuring humorous promo spots, including a pirate ship, a volcano and a villain’s evil lair.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of volcano
Noun
  • But traffic is still far below the more than 700 transits seen in a typical week before the crisis, Lloyd’s List said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The seven-year conflict helped create one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • During this same year, Chemours sued the other DuPont companies, claiming it had been handed a financial time bomb because of the PFAS liability it had been left with.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Malloy crisscrossed the state during his first few months in office, holding 17 town meetings to explain the fiscal ticking time bomb represented by unfunded pension obligations.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of time bomb
Noun
  • Kimmie, played by Taylor Polidore Williams, finally levels the playing field with the Bellaire family just as tensions rise to another boiling point.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026
  • Temperatures don’t need to hit boiling point for productivity losses to start showing.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of boiling point
Noun
  • That preference for continuity has carried on into this pre-season, a period when managers and head coaches often make plenty of changes.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Patrick Fussell, global head of adversary simulation at IBM, compared AI to a genie.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of head
Noun
  • Keep in mind, there is a breaking point.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Three of the Netherlands’ four goals came from this method, as Gakpo, Dumfries and Summerville stretched the Swedish defence to breaking point and opened up additional space in the middle.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Definition of breaking point
Noun
  • Washington has won three straight and wants to shore up its playoff position as the season gets toward crunch time.
    — Torrey Hart, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • With the games now having the kind of stakes that Thursday’s contest lacked, that leaky defense – especially in crunch time toward the end of matches – is the possible Achilles heel for this team.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
Definition of crunch time

Browse Nearby Words

flashlights
flash point
flash points
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Cite this Entry

“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flash%20point. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flash point

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flash point

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