breaking point

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breaking point

The rope reached its breaking point during the tug-of-war.

Definition

Noun: 1. The degree of tension or stress at which something breaks: The specific limit of pressure, force, or strain that causes a material, object, or system to fail, fracture, or collapse. 2. (Psychology) The stress at which a person breaks down or a situation becomes crucial: The moment of extreme mental or emotional strain that leads to a collapse in someone's ability to cope, or the critical juncture in a situation where a decisive change is inevitable.

Usage and Examples
  • The engineers tested the metal rod to determine its breaking point.
  • After months of pressure and sleepless nights, she finally reached her breaking point and burst into tears.
  • The negotiations have reached a breaking point; a deal must be signed today or the partnership will end.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be at/past the breaking point": To be under such extreme stress that a breakdown or failure is imminent or has already occurred.
    • The healthcare system is at the breaking point due to the influx of patients.
    • His patience was past the breaking point after the constant delays.
Variants and Related Words
  • Breakpoint (noun): A point at which something breaks, often used in computing to refer to a place in a program where execution is interrupted for debugging. (Note: This is a distinct, related term, not a variant spelling of "breaking point").
  • Break down (phrasal verb): To stop functioning (for machines) or to lose emotional control (for people).
Synonyms
  • Limit
  • Threshold
  • Boiling point
  • Snapping point
  • Crisis point
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • The straw that broke the camel's back: A minor addition to a burden that causes it to become unbearable, leading to the breaking point.
    • The missed deadline was the straw that broke the camel's back, leading to his resignation.
  • At the end of one's rope/tether: To have no more patience or energy left; very close to one's breaking point.
    • With three crying children and no help, she was at the end of her rope.
breaking point

The rope reached its breaking point during the tug-of-war.

Noun
  1. the degree of tension or stress at which something breaks
  2. (psychology) stress at which a person breaks down or a situation becomes crucial