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

• carrefour
• corner
• crossing
• crossway(s)
• intersection
• junction

Examples of crossroad in a Sentence

Traffic was stopped at the crossroad.

We turned onto a crossroad.

Recent Examples on the Web

Critical Content, the production company behind Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia and Sylvester Stallone documentary Sly, is at a crossroads. —Peter White, Deadline, 9 May 2025

And so, on a rainy late April day in Seattle, Castelli stood at a lectern before his friends and family and defended his doctoral thesis — about using stem cells to express antibodies against HIV — with his scientific life at a crossroads. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 8 May 2025

The Catholic Church was at a crossroads, with many wondering whether new leadership would be more progressive like Francis or more conservative, like the majority of the American Catholic bishops. —Mariel Padilla, Them., 8 May 2025

Now, following the death of Pope Francis, the Church once again stands at a crossroads. —Randall Balmer, Time, 8 May 2025

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