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

What happens next depends on whether this thing achieves a critical mass of meme status.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Until the past decade, what was missing was the good jobs to keep a critical mass of that attractive workforce in the city.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Media fragmentation and the constant flow of information are presented as making it harder for scandals to reach critical mass, as new controversies quickly displace previous ones.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

A critical mass is reached, and now your soul collapses in upon itself.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

critical mass

Example Sentences

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