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.
The researchers also found that a planetary tipping point hundreds of millions of years ago caused the global oxygen distribution to flip.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
The pact could also be a tipping point for British alcohol and spirits companies.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The tipping point came when Wrobleski surrendered eight runs to the Nationals in his first major-league start of the 2025 season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
“A tipping point for the yield curve will be when the Fed shifts from its current hawkish stance to a more neutral position,” Nizard said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 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.
