Choose the Right Synonym for juncture

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. an important juncture in our country's history exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation. provide for exigencies emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster. the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence. contingency plans pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency. come through in a pinch strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult. in dire straits crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference. a crisis of confidence

Did You Know?

Juncture has many relatives in English - and some of them are easy to spot, whereas others are not so obvious. Juncture derives from the Latin verb jungere (to join), which gave us not only join and junction but also conjugal (relating to marriage) and junta (a group of persons controlling a government). Jungere also has distant etymological connections to joust, jugular, juxtapose, yoga and yoke. The use of juncture in English dates back to the 14th century. Originally, the word meant "a place where two or more things are joined," but by the 17th century it could also be used of an important point in time or of a stage in a process or activity.

Examples of juncture in a Sentence

Negotiations between the countries reached a critical juncture. At this juncture it looks like they are going to get a divorce. the juncture of two rivers

Recent Examples on the Web Big Bend's location at the juncture of the U.S. and Mexico is a major thread in its complex history. — Marcia Desanctis, Travel + Leisure, "Big Bend National Park Is One of the Most Remote Places in America — Here's How to See It," 25 Apr. 2021 Take the two baby buds off at the juncture of the main bud. — oregonlive, "Learn to grow colorful, dazzling dahlias in Oregon," 5 Apr. 2021 In effect, the money that Trump eventually had to refund amounted to an interest-free loan from unwitting supporters at the most important juncture of the 2020 race. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "How Trump steered supporters into millions of unwitting donations," 4 Apr. 2021 In effect, the money that Mr. Trump eventually had to refund amounted to an interest-free loan from unwitting supporters at the most important juncture of the 2020 race. — New York Times, "How Trump Steered Supporters Into Unwitting Donations," 3 Apr. 2021 In effect, the money that Trump eventually had to refund amounted to an interest-free loan from unwitting supporters at the most important juncture of the 2020 race. — Shane Goldmacher New York Times, Star Tribune, "How Trump steered supporters into unwitting donations," 3 Apr. 2021 Because of the lasting structures and communities created by prominent Black families, and the opportunities of work, Detroit went from a juncture of freedom to a city where Black people could attempt to build a dignified life. — Zito Madu, The New Republic, "Living Through Detroit’s Perpetual Housing Crisis," 30 Mar. 2021 This juncture of the spring is about what those backs can show Alford, the sooner the better. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Urgency building in Ohio State football running back competition: ‘Show me that we have to play you’," 24 Mar. 2021 The issue at this juncture of spring seems to be getting them all on the roster, especially if the Orioles decide to begin the season with a 14-man pitching staff. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles observations on Maikel Franco showing early progress, César Valdez’s value in relief and more | ANALYSIS," 23 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'juncture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.