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.
Die-hard fans, many clad in American flags and US squad regalia, told the BBC they were convinced that whether the team won or lost, this World Cup could be a tipping point for the country.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
As more individuals join, the movement reaches a tipping point and develops into a large, self sustaining circular procession.
From Science Daily • Jul. 6, 2026
In data going back to 2000, the only time that the tipping point arrived even earlier was in 2022, when it came on June 26.
From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026
No large fund is close to that tipping point yet, but analysts currently estimate the cash drain could take a year or more to subside.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 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.
