breaking point

American  

noun

1. the point at which a person, object, structure, etc., collapses under stress.

2. the point at which a situation or condition becomes critical.

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breaking point British  

noun

1. the point at which something or someone gives way under strain

2. the moment of crisis in a situation

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Etymology

Origin of breaking point

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

For Mr. Quigley, the breaking point was when his teenage son told him he planned to skip school often during his senior year, knowing he’d graduate regardless.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

I think you’re seeing these characters at the breaking point.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

It fractured under the same stretching conditions, indicating that viscosity is a key factor in this solid-like breaking behavior and suggesting that many simple liquids may share a similar breaking point.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

People from rural communities and businesses say areas are being left "devastated" as the company that oversees Northern Ireland's wastewater network admits it is at "breaking point".

From BBC • Mar. 21, 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