breaking point
Americannoun
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the point at which a person, object, structure, etc., collapses under stress.
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the point at which a situation or condition becomes critical.
noun
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the point at which something or someone gives way under strain
-
the moment of crisis in a situation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of breaking point
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
For the new Canadian prime minister, reading intelligence reports detailing the gravity of the crisis, it was a breaking point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
One player, recently recalled winger Agustin Canobbio, had a blazing row with Bielsa, saying the breaking point came when the coach criticised the way he was sitting.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
"The country needs order, and is reaching breaking point," the 58-year-old leader said at a public event in La Paz, renewing his appeal for dialogue.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
The town of 30,000 reached a breaking point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
But there is only the sound of my breathing and what I’m sure is the stretching of my heart’s sinewy muscle as it reaches its breaking point.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
