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

Inventory levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, the pipeline crossroads of the United States, fell just below 19 million barrels last week, the lowest since August 2014. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 25 June 2026

On the cusp of the 250th anniversary of its founding, the United States of America is at a crossroads. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 June 2026

America's electricity grid is at a crossroads, with independent power producers actively expanding generation in response to market signals, exemplified by hundreds of gigawatts proposed in PJM. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

The announcement on the PGA Tour’s new format comes at a time where the competitive dynamic in professional golf is at a crossroads. — Dominic Chu, CNBC, 23 June 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