flash point
noun
1
: the lowest temperature at which vapors above a volatile combustible substance ignite in air when exposed to flame
2
: a point at which someone or something bursts suddenly into action or being
Examples of flash point in a Sentence
The city became a flash point as political tensions grew.
The situation reached a flash point when union leaders urged the workers to protest.
Recent Examples on the Web
The move comes after Republican officials ramped up efforts to turn the 2021 order into a partisan flash point ahead of the 2024 election.
—
Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 20 Jan. 2025
The plight of the Palestinians will serve as a flash point, a symbol of inequities in the prevailing international order and, in the eyes of many across the developing world, the unfinished work of decolonization.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Beyond cultural flash points, Bluesky is also grappling with a range of brass-tacks moderation issues that come as the price of popularity.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 22 Dec. 2024
Among the major flash points this year: Breakthrough fighting in Syria throws Russia off balance and elevates Turkey.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flash point 
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Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 20 Jan. 2025
The plight of the Palestinians will serve as a flash point, a symbol of inequities in the prevailing international order and, in the eyes of many across the developing world, the unfinished work of decolonization.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Beyond cultural flash points, Bluesky is also grappling with a range of brass-tacks moderation issues that come as the price of popularity.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 22 Dec. 2024
Among the major flash points this year: Breakthrough fighting in Syria throws Russia off balance and elevates Turkey.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flash point
Dictionary Entries Near flash point
Cite this Entry
“Flash point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash%20point. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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