the point of no return


the point of no return

A point at which it is impossible to reverse one's actions or return to one's starting point. This is the point of no return. If we sign this agreement, we are committed for the long haul. The climbers had reached the point of no return. At this stage, they either had to reach their destination, or die trying.See also: no, of, point, return

point of no return

the halfway point; the point at which it is too late to turn back. (Often with past.) The flight was past the point of no return, so we had to continue to our destination. The entire project is past the point of no return; we will have to continue with it.See also: no, of, point, 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] See also: no, of, point, return

point of no return

the point in a journey or enterprise at which it becomes essential or more practical to continue to the end.See also: no, of, point, return

(get to, reach, etc.) the ˌpoint of ˌno reˈturn

the time when you must continue with what you have decided to do, because it is not possible to get back to an earlier situation: We’ve invested so much in the project that we simply must finish it. We’ve reached the point of no return.See also: no, of, point, return

point of no return, the

A critical point that, if passed, allows for no reversal of direction or decision. This term comes from aviation, where it means the point in a flight beyond which there would no longer be fuel enough to return to the starting place. It originated among aviators during World War II. John P. Marquand used it as the title of a novel (1949). See also: no, of, point