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

• 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

She was pushed into a soaking-wet corner of the concrete at the crossroads of Mass and Cass, the city’s painful addiction mile. —Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

But the Rockies have reached a critical crossroads, forced to make the most significant choices since the team was first assembled as an expansion franchise before the inaugural 1993 season. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025

The actor recently spoke with the Midland Reporter-Telegram about season 4, hinting that the new episodes find Manny at a crossroads in the wake of Vince's tragic death. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025

The Detroit Tigers are at a crossroads with their ace, Tarik Skubal, this offseason. —Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 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