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

"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

With such fragmentation, it’s much harder for a negative storyline to reach critical mass.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

Pilar says the pattern of coins reveals something called “Ta Kuo,” critical mass.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

critical mass

Example Sentences

Related Words