critical mass

[krit-i-kuhl mas] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈmæs /

NOUN

crucial point

Synonyms

WEAK

climax crisis crisis point critical juncture critical point critical stage crossroads crucial moment crunch time decisive moment defining moment do or die time emergency high noon irreversible momentum moment of truth pivotal point point of no return sink or swim time the Rubicon turning point zero hour

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 situation came to a critical mass in 2024 when Musk sued OpenAI for diverging from its nonprofit mission.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

In the modern music industry, with listening splintered across various streaming services and social-media platforms, it’s hard to write any song, much less a protest song, that reaches a critical mass of listeners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

"It'll hit a critical mass at some point, and maybe become as commonplace as smartwatches or glasses," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

"And therefore, because there's no critical mass, they are really not part of the core of this small start-up village. And therefore, in my opinion we need to create critical mass."

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

The Tipping Point is the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

critical mass

Example Sentences

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