Meanings
verbcome to a head (third-person singular simple present comes to a head, present participle coming to a head, simple past came to a head, past participle come to a head)
present singular third person comes to a head · participle present coming to a head · past came to a head · alternative bring to a head
- idiomaticintransitiveTo rapidly reach a turning point or climax.
The escalating crisis between England and her American colonies came to a head when fighting broke out in 1775.
1 more example
In retrospect, it was small wonder that Railtrack found its finances under pressure, as with ever increasing demand there was an inevitable effect on infrastructure renewals. Matters came to a head with the Hatfield accident on October 17 2000, when there was a high-speed derailment as a result of deferred track maintenance.
2024 January 10, 'Industry Insider', “Success built on liberalisation and market freedom”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 69
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Translations
Catalan arribar a un punt crític
- arribar a un punt críticto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Chinese Mandarin 到緊要關頭 /到紧要关头, 到轉折點 /到转折点
- 到緊要關頭 /到紧要关头 (dào jǐnyàoguāntóu)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- 到轉折點 /到转折点 (dào zhuǎnzhédiǎn)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- 進入緊要關頭 /进入紧要关头 (jìnrù jǐnyàoguāntóu)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- 進入轉折點 /进入转折点 (jìnrù zhuǎnzhédiǎn)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- 顯現 /显现 (xiǎnxiàn)to suddenly reveal itself, having lain latent for a time
- 突然成熟 (tūrán chéngshú)to suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- 化膿 /化脓 (huànóng)to reach its final stage
Dutch tot een uitbarsting komen, een kritiek punt bereiken
- tot een uitbarsting komento rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- een kritiek punt bereikento rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Finnish kärjistyä, purkautua
- kärjistyäto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- purkautuato suddenly reveal itself, having lain latent for a time
- tehdä valmiiksito suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- kypsyäto reach its final stage
French arriver à un point critique, mûrir
- arriver à un point critiqueto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- mûrirto reach its final stage
German zuspitzen
- zuspitzento rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Greek καταλήγω σε κρίση, αποκορυφώνομαι
- καταλήγω σε κρίση (katalígo se krísi)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- αποκορυφώνομαι (apokoryfónomai)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Hebrew הגיע לשיא
- הגיע לשיא (higía lasí)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Japanese 熟する
- 熟する (jukusuru)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Korean 곪다
- 곪다 (gomda)to rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Polish stawiać sprawę na ostrzu noża, postawić sprawę na ostrzu noża
- stawiać sprawę na ostrzu nożato rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- postawić sprawę na ostrzu nożato rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Portuguese culminar, atingir um ponto crítico
- culminarto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- atingir um ponto críticoto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- vir à tonato suddenly reveal itself, having lain latent for a time
- madurarto suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- amadurecerto suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- madurecerto suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- supurarto reach its final stage
- criar pusto reach its final stage
Russian назре́ть, назрева́ть
- назре́ть (nazrétʹ)to suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- назрева́ть (nazrevátʹ)to suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- нарва́ть (narvátʹ)to reach its final stage
- нарыва́ть (naryvátʹ)to reach its final stage
Spanish culminar, llegar a un punto crítico
- culminarto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- llegar a un punto críticoto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Swedish komma till ett avgörande, komma till sin spets
- komma till ett avgörandeto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- komma till sin spetsto rapidly reach a turning point or climax
Ukrainian назріва́ти, назрі́ти
- назріва́ти (nazriváty)to suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- назрі́ти (nazríty)to suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
Welsh dod i ben, dod i ben
- dod i bento rapidly reach a turning point or climax
- dod i bento suddenly reveal itself, having lain latent for a time
- dod i bento suddenly become mature or perfected, having been inchoate or imperfectly formed
- dod i bento reach its final stage
Cite this entry
APA
come to a head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20to%20a%20head
MLA
“come to a head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20to%20a%20head. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come to a head,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20to%20a%20head.
Source: come to a head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.