the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back

idiom

: the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc.
It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Examples of the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were other things outside of that also that were not meshing, and that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 Oct. 2023 For many, this week's gaffe was also the straw that broke the camel's back. Jeva Lange, TheWeek, 10 June 2020 According to El Nacional, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 We have been so unfairly discriminated against for so long, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Star Tribune, 25 June 2021 Kaine predicted that Manchin will vote for the bill, and that Republicans blocking it along party lines will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Andrew Solender, Forbes, 22 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back.' 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 the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back

the stratosphere

the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back

the stretch

Cite this Entry

“The straw that breaks/broke the camel's back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20straw%20that%20breaks%2Fbroke%20the%20camel%27s%20back. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!