crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

also -ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs cross-country between main roads

2

usually crossroads ˈkrȯs-ˌrōdz 

also -ˈrōdz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

a

: the place of intersection of two or more roads

b(1)

: a small community located at such a crossroads

(2)

: a central meeting place

c

: a crucial point especially where a decision must be made

Synonyms of crossroad

• intersection
• corner
• junction

Examples of crossroad in a Sentence

Traffic was stopped at the crossroad.

We turned onto a crossroad.

Recent Examples on the Web

With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads. —Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026

Connecticut’s public schools are at a crossroads. —Patrice McCarthy, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026

The idea is to transform the historic roundabout and connect the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch to Prospect Park by removing the roadway between Union Street and Eastern Parkway, a busy crossroads connecting two neighborhoods and tens of thousands of people every day. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026

Situated at the crossroads of empires — from Persian and Roman to Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman — it has long been shaped by conquest and survival. —Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crossroad

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• decode

Kids Definition

crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

-ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs across country between main roads

2

a

: a place where roads cross

—usually used in plural

b

: a small community at a crossroads

3

: a place or time at which a decision must be made