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.

---

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

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of point of no return

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

England are at the point of no return in yet another Ashes series in Australia – the visitors have lost the previous three series in this country 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 respectively.

From BBC

England have already reached a point of no return in this Ashes series.

From BBC

Only five days into this series, England are at a point of no return.

From BBC

And the longer viewers spend watching their favorite franchises, the more they’re able to recognize a point of no return.

From Salon

He also knew that injecting the seawater was their only hope of keeping the chain reaction in unit 1 from reaching a point of no return, and that every minute counted.

From Literature