tipping point
Americannoun
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the point at which an issue, idea, product, etc., crosses a certain threshhold and gains significant momentum, triggered by some minor factor or change.
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the point in a situation at which a minor development precipitates a crisis.
Every infected person brings us closer to the tipping point, when the outbreak becomes an epidemic.
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Physics. the point at which an object is no longer balanced, and adding a small amount of weight can cause it to topple.
noun
Etymology
Origin of tipping point
First recorded in 1955–60
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.
When sentiment reaches extremes, it can sometimes signal that the market might be reaching a tipping point.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Councillors of all parties and backgrounds have reported a significant increase in the abuse they have faced both in person and online, with last week's English local elections a tipping point for many.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
“Here, the focus in energy markets is whether a tipping point is reached over the next month.”
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
“It really came to a tipping point when Gen. George was dismissed.”
From Salon • May 1, 2026
The tipping point came in Berlin, in November 1989, when the East German government gave in to pressure to ease travel across the Berlin Wall.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
