crises

noun

plural of crisis
as in crossroads
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action the governor responded swiftly and surely to the crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of crises Public health and environmental experts told The Associated Press the coming weeks are critical to preventing secondary crises caused by contaminants from the rubble and rebuilding. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 Actors have broken the fourth wall since long before the term existed, turning to the audience to acknowledge the artifice of playing out private crises under public scrutiny. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 This concentration of wealth protects the regime from economic crises, while ordinary Iranians endure severe hardship. — Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Yet there are new challenges, new crises in front of the monarchs. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 The edited cells produce healthy fetal hemoglobin, dramatically reducing painful crises for many patients. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026 In April, Google announced updates to its AI chatbot Gemini to detect potential mental health crises and direct users to hotline resources. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026 The reshuffle comes after almost a week of nationwide unrest and represents one of the biggest political crises since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 July 2026 Clark Forrest is a local weatherman who becomes absorbed in the crises engulfing his new friend Floyd Smernitch, the station’s sign-language interpreter. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crises
  1. crossroads
  2. emergencies
  3. situations
  4. exigencies
  5. heads
Noun
  • The New Frontier section which is the crossroads between tech creativity and independent filmmaking will return to 2027 as New Frontier FLUX to showcase new works which are pushing boundaries in a biodigital world.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 July 2026
  • The Buccaneers, by the way, are at something of a crossroads.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of crossroads
Noun
  • So far this summer, Colorado crews have responded to 12 water emergencies at Chatfield Reservoir.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Hospitals keep some blood on hand, but may require more for emergencies.
    — Eva Flowe July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
Definition of emergencies
Noun
  • The watchdog system identifies when an AI approaches situations that have not been sufficiently verified, allowing control to shift to backup systems.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Mixed signals, vague expectations or something as simple as literal exhaustion could complicate situations.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of situations
Noun
  • Potential finalists will be notified via email and will be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, License of Work and Release of Liability/Publicity within three (3) days of date of notification, or a shorter time if required by exigencies, or a runner-up may be selected.
    — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
  • The exigencies of the Revolution lead to promising more people representation.
    — KEN BURNS, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Definition of exigencies
Noun
  • Mannequin heads stare at you through the storefront window, each topped with a wildly unique hairpiece – one with long, curly, bubblegum pink locks; another with a bright orange bob.
    — USA TODAY NETWORK, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Scavengers would dig up artifacts like gold coins and porcelain doll heads, and Bayouth admired their aged, archival qualities, a theme that takes shape in her ceramics.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of heads

Browse Nearby Words

cris de coeur
crises
crisis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crises. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on crises

Nglish: Translation of crises for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All