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Synonyms

flash point

American  
Or flashpoint

noun

  1. Physical Chemistry. Also the lowest temperature at which a liquid in a specified apparatus will give off sufficient vapor to ignite momentarily on application of a flame.

  2. a critical point or stage at which something or someone suddenly causes or creates some significant action.

    A 10 percent drop in mortgage rates will produce a flash point in the housing market.

  3. a critical situation or area having the potential of erupting in sudden violence.

    The Mideast has been the flash point for a series of conflicts.
flash point British  

noun

  1. the lowest temperature at which the vapour above a liquid can be ignited in air

  2. a critical moment beyond which a situation will inevitably erupt into violence

    the political mood has reached flash point
"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
flash point Scientific  

  1. The lowest temperature at which the vapor of a flammable liquid will ignite in air. The flash point is generally lower than the temperature needed for the liquid itself to ignite.

flash point Cultural  

  1. For a given flammable substance, the lowest temperature at which vapors passing from the substance into the air will catch fire spontaneously if a small flame is present.

Etymology

Origin of flash point

First recorded in 1875–80

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first flash point of an otherwise largely dull game came when a studs-up challenge from Uruguay defender Araujo on Foden early in the second half went unpunished.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The smallest of Gap’s brands continues to be a flash point for investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Taxes can often represent a flash point between a government and its people.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

A Salvadoran man got off first — Kilmar Abrego García, whose case became a flash point of controversy after federal officials acknowledged he had been wrongly deported.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2025

The San Francisco Bay Area was a constant flash point for demonstrations and marches against the war.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.