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

That geographical and musical crossroads of the Midwest and the South has been an incubator for numerous rock acts who have emerged from the Louisville scene. — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2026

Johannesburg’s mayoral race reveals a city frustrated by years of corruption and crumbling infrastructure – and a country at a crossroad. — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Nov. 2026

The renewal comes a day after the show’s season finale, which saw Horgan’s character, Alex, at a crossroads both personally and professionally. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026

Which, honestly, left them at a very uncomfortable crossroads. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Oct. 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