breaking point
(問題難以遏制的)頂點,極限；斷點:
to be at / to reach breaking point
處于/達到極限
to be stretched to breaking point
已撐至極限

a stockpile of
囤聚的物資:
People are afraid that the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons will begin a war.
人們擔心全世界的核武器儲備引發戰爭。

indication (of sth / of doing sth) | ~ (that...)
表明；標示；顯示；象征:
They gave no indication of how the work should be done.
他們根本沒說明這項工作該怎樣做。

cross purpose
(由于談論或針對不同事情而未意識到的)相互不理解,相互誤解:
I think we're talking at cross purposes; that's not what I meant at all.
我想我們是說到兩下里去了,我根本不是那個意思。

oil the wheels
grease the wheels
(尤指在商業上或政治上)起促進作用

sb's persistence
堅持；鍥而不舍:
His persistence was finally rewarded when the insurance company agreed to pay for the damage.
保險公司同意賠償損失,他的堅持不懈終于得到了回報。