English

Noun

breaking point ‎(plural breaking points)

1. (mechanics) The point at which the increasing strain in a material causes it to break
2. (figuratively) A moment of crisis, particulary one precipitated by a "last straw"
   • 2012 November 20, Nina Bernstein, “Storm Bared a Lack of Options for the Homeless in New York”, in New York Times:

     Even before Hurricane Sandy, New York was sheltering more homeless people than any city in the United States: a record 47,000 women, men and children, in a system strained to the breaking point.