point of no return
Aviation. the point in a flight at which an aircraft will lack sufficient fuel to return to its starting point.
the critical point in an undertaking, decision-making process, etc., where one has committed oneself irrevocably to a course of action or policy.
Origin of point of no return
1Words Nearby point of no return
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use point of no return in a sentence
As they advanced, they seemed to realize that they had passed a point-of-no-return.
Naudsonce | H. Beam Piper
British Dictionary definitions for point of no return
a point at which an irreversible commitment must be made to an action, progression, etc
a point in a journey at which, if one continues, supplies will be insufficient for a return to the starting place
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with point of no return
The place in a course of action beyond which reversal is not possible. For example, Once the contract is signed, we've reached the point of no return. This expression comes from aviation, where it signifies the point where an aircraft does not have enough fuel to return to the starting point. [c. 1940]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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