tipping point

noun

the point at which an issue, idea, product, etc., crosses a certain threshhold and gains significant momentum, triggered by some minor factor or change.
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.
Physics. the point at which an object is no longer balanced, and adding a small amount of weight can cause it to topple.

tipping point

/ ˈ��ɪ��ɪŋ /

noun

the crisis stage in a process, when a significant change takes place

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of tipping point¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

President Trump’s defiance of court orders in a case involving a resident of Maryland being wrongly deported to a Salvadoran prison has pushed the country to a constitutional tipping point, according to legal experts.

From

For some, the answer is an affirmative yes — the actions of the administration in the Abrego Garcia case a clear tipping point.

From

“When you’re so synonymous with a brand, it’s a careful balance and it’s almost reached a tipping point.”

From

And, she adds, Switzerland needs to watch out for the "tipping point, where the destinations really lose their character".

From

There are gradations of difference, and there are tipping points that you cross.

From

Tippett tipple

Browse