point of no return

noun phrase

1
: the point in the flight of an aircraft beyond which the remaining fuel will be insufficient for a return to the starting point with the result that the craft must proceed
2
: a critical point at which turning back or reversal is not possible

Examples of point of no return in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Matton reached a point of no return and had to make changes or pay the consequences. Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 16 May 2025 This post contains details about the Yellowjackets, Season 3 episode ’12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis’ Court is in session on Yellowjackets as the team officially approaches (another) point of no return. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025 The damage ultimately reaches a point of no return, says Walters, who is trying to identify the precise tipping point. Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025 Posey has operated from the safe distance of the Giants’ ownership board in 2022 and an advisory position before offering himself up to chairman of the board Greg Johnson when things reached the point of no return with his predecessor, analytics cruncher Farhan Zaidi. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for point of no return

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of point of no return was in 1941

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Cite this Entry

“Point of no return.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20of%20no%20return. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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