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 enhanced feature is a flash point in the escalating tensions between merchants and the card networks setting the fees for payment processing.
—
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024
Asia has no shortage of flash points, notably over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
—Susannah Patton, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024
One flash point was a video that showed a woman collapsing amid a crowd of protesters.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
One flash point was Carpenter’s ad campaign for Skims, the clothing company owned by Swift’s bitter rival, Kim Kardashian.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flash point 
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024
Asia has no shortage of flash points, notably over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
—Susannah Patton, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024
One flash point was a video that showed a woman collapsing amid a crowd of protesters.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
One flash point was Carpenter’s ad campaign for Skims, the clothing company owned by Swift’s bitter rival, Kim Kardashian.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flash point
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flash point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 1 Oct. 2024.
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