A critical or pivotal point in a situation or process at which some small or singular influence acts as a catalyst for a broader, more dramatic, or irreversible change. The bank's implosion acted as a tipping point for the economic recession, as stock markets crashed and countless other businesses were forced into bankruptcy as a result. The execution of the rebel leaders proved to be a tipping point for the country, as the public overwhelmingly shifted to an anti-empire sentiment.