fork in the road

noun phrase

1
: a place where a route of travel (as of a road, street, or path) diverges into multiple routes
… Anne took the left turning when they came to a fork in the road. She should have taken the right …—Lucy Maud Montgomery
2
: a situation in which a person or entity must choose between two options : crossroad sense 2c
However, at this fork in the road, which way should he go? Pursue sports broadcasting … or go full Hollywood?—Jeanette Settembre
Her stories lead characters to forks in the road where they can choose life or death in metaphorical and real ways …—Melissa Whaley, quoted in The Gazette (Montreal)

Examples of fork in the road in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Where Lean Stops Looking Like Cost-Cutting Those forks in the road aren’t theoretical. — Joe Perkins, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 In an interview, Thune acknowledged there’s a fork in the road coming. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026 That will be a fork in the road of history for consciousness reaching the stars. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026 This is the fork in the road between Mamdani’s democratic socialism and the supply-side progressive tradition. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fork in the road

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fork in the road was in 1773

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Cite this Entry

“Fork in the road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fork%20in%20the%20road. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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