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