BREAKING POINTS Synonyms: 44 Similar Words

breaking points

noun

plural of breaking point

as in crises

a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action tensions between the two nations had risen to the breaking point

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking points

Noun

Both of the relationship crises reach what seem like turning points.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
But the island’s multiple crises forced the government to end the previous school year in June — one month early.

— Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of crises

Noun

Jeffries, who is poised to become the House speaker if his party wins power and would be the first Democrat to wield the gavel since Pelosi, faces a party at a crossroads.

— Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Although geopolitical analysts love to talk about turning points, crossroads, and dilemmas, many governments have a prosaic tendency to defy these dramatic predictions and muddle through.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of crossroads

Noun

The intense temperature and pressure of the impact heated the moon's crust and mantle so much that many of the volatile elements present (volatiles are elements with low boiling points), including potassium, evaporated and escaped into space.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Thermodynamics drives selective recovery The researchers hypothesized that FJH combined with chlorine gas could exploit differences in Gibbs free energy and boiling points to selectively remove non-REE elements from magnet waste.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025

Definition of boiling points

Noun

Trout, whose Angels tenure has included seven managers and five heads of baseball operations, will now be playing under a new owner for the first time.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Presidential library residence Bill and Hillary still have a place to rest their heads in Little Rock.

— Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of heads

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

breaking point

breaking points

breaking the law

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Breaking points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20points. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of breaking points

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes