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
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the moment of crisis in a situation
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.
In the fourth year of a struggling market, even real-estate professionals who made it this far are reaching a breaking point.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz warned Wednesday that the country was at a "breaking point" after nearly a month of protests that have caused shortages of food, fuel and life-saving medicine.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
"We're significantly concerned that these incidents are going to push the service past breaking point," he said, calling for more investment.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
"When the nanopillars are closer together, more of them can press on the same virus at once, stretching its outer shell past breaking point."
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
And yet everything radiates tension, as if the city has been built upon the skin of a balloon and someone is inflating it toward the breaking point.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
