point of no return

American  

noun

1. Aviation. the point in a flight at which an aircraft will lack sufficient fuel to return to its starting point.

2. the critical point in an undertaking, decision-making process, etc., where one has committed oneself irrevocably to a course of action or policy.

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point of no return British  

noun

1. a point at which an irreversible commitment must be made to an action, progression, etc

2. a point in a journey at which, if one continues, supplies will be insufficient for a return to the starting place

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point of no return Idioms  

1. The place in a course of action beyond which reversal is not possible. For example, Once the contract is signed, we've reached the point of no return. This expression comes from aviation, where it signifies the point where an aircraft does not have enough fuel to return to the starting point. [c. 1940]

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Etymology

Origin of point of no return

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

point of no return

At the microscopic level, the bridge allows information to pass across what appears to us as an event horizon – a point of no return.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

The campaign group also accused Dean of posting the message: "Indigenous Britain is slipping further into the abyss. We will soon reach the point of no return."

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026

Mexican officials say that the Sheinbaum administration is now at a point of no return as it deals with the aftermath of the kingpin’s death.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Speaking of which, as I write this, we are drifting toward what feels like a point of no return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

If anything happened to my daughters, I would really be at a point of no return!

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry