Meaning:
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something
Examples:
- This is the straw that broke the camel's back!
- Did you ever hear about the straw that broke the camel's back?
- This is the straw that broke the camel's back.
- That's the straw that broke the camel's back.
- I believe that this failure on our part was the straw that broke the camel's back.
- Well, there's always been a lot of tension there, but let's just say this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
- His frustration at not being able to serve again at city clerk could have been the straw that broke the camel's back, as De los Santos observed.
- His foul language on television was the straw that broke the camel's back. He was fired immediately.
- The straw that broke the camel's back, according to the boss, was his assistant's failure to counterattack.