breaking point
Americannoun
-
the point at which a person, object, structure, etc., collapses under stress.
-
the point at which a situation or condition becomes critical.
noun
-
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.
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
By the end of 2024, she had reached breaking point.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
High interest rates and a chronic shortage of inventory have pushed the U.S. housing market to a breaking point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 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
With their scant budget pushed to the breaking point, the Friedmans were always in debt.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
