point of no return

SEE SYNONYMS FOR point of no return ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Aviation. the point in a flight at which an aircraft will lack sufficient fuel to return to its starting point.
the critical point in an undertaking, decision-making process, etc., where one has committed oneself irrevocably to a course of action or policy.

Origin of point of no return

First recorded in 1940–45

Words nearby point of no return

point of departure, point of fixation, point of honor, point of honour, point of inflection, point of no return, point of order, point of ossification, point of sailing, point of sale, point of view

Words related to point of no return

climax, crossroads, crunch, terminus, Rubicon

Example sentences from the Web for point of no return

  • As they advanced, they seemed to realize that they had passed a point-of-no-return.

    Naudsonce |H. Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for point of no return

point of no return

noun

a point at which an irreversible commitment must be made to an action, progression, etc
a point in a journey at which, if one continues, supplies will be insufficient for a return to the starting place

Idioms and Phrases with point of no return

point of no return

The place in a course of action beyond which reversal is not possible. For example, Once the contract is signed, we've reached the point of no return. This expression comes from aviation, where it signifies the point where an aircraft does not have enough fuel to return to the starting point. [c. 1940]