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.
But with thousands of sailors stuck in the Gulf for months and the death toll increasing, some are reaching a breaking point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
With officiating at a breaking point, experts in school athletics are pushing for changes in the way sports officials are recruited, trained and, most important, treated on the playing field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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 Fire Brigades Union warned more intense flooding and wildfires threatened to push services "past breaking point" while Wales' Future Generations Commissioner said it would be "mass negligence" not to prioritise adapting to extreme weather.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
In those early weeks she had fed Mirabelle every four hours, held her every time she cried, and watched her grow until her heels stretched her newborn rompers almost to the breaking point.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
