as in crossroads
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
the governor responded swiftly and surely to the crisis
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Recent Examples of crises
Every dollar spent on preventing extreme hunger saves many more that might have to be disbursed in response to crises.
—
Arif Husain, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2025
Darlene Greene, a member of the town council representing a tract in West Altadena, told me that the ordeal of rebuilding had driven some of her constituents into mental-health crises.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
That leaves Zverev, who has had his own existential crises this year.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
London — Two top leaders at the BBC resigned on Sunday amid an escalating scandal over impartiality and bias that plunged Britain’s public broadcaster into one of its biggest crises in recent years.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
This is one of the plethora of crises that the Adams administration will leave on its desk for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to handle.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
What was once meant to be a narrow exception for genuine crises has become a routine pretext for government overreach — a means of inflating executive power and corroding the nation’s fiscal credibility.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Gemini, for example, was not trained to have crises.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Arif Husain, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2025
Darlene Greene, a member of the town council representing a tract in West Altadena, told me that the ordeal of rebuilding had driven some of her constituents into mental-health crises.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
That leaves Zverev, who has had his own existential crises this year.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
London — Two top leaders at the BBC resigned on Sunday amid an escalating scandal over impartiality and bias that plunged Britain’s public broadcaster into one of its biggest crises in recent years.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
This is one of the plethora of crises that the Adams administration will leave on its desk for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to handle.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
What was once meant to be a narrow exception for genuine crises has become a routine pretext for government overreach — a means of inflating executive power and corroding the nation’s fiscal credibility.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Gemini, for example, was not trained to have crises.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crises
Noun
-
New York is a crossroads for them at the edge of the continent, like a traffic circle with east-west routes running along the ocean or north-south routes going up the harbor or to New Jersey.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The crossroads sustainable fashion now finds itself at could rebalance trust in green claims, giving companies with less genuine impact investment an easy way out, Allweiss says, and making space for the truly committed to step up and be properly acknowledged.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Like 911 for emergencies, 211 is a national three-digit dialing code, launched in 2000, that connects callers to information specialists at the nearest local 211 helpline.—
Matthew W. Kreuter,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The outcome could potentially have lasting ramifications for civil-military relations and the boundaries of presidential power under the Constitution, particularly during protest movements and domestic emergencies.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In many of these situations so far, neither state actors nor health care systems or providers want to shoulder responsibility.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The ruling left little hope for legal relief for Khan or for any Pakistani citizens who find themselves ensnared in similar situations.—
Rafia Zakaria,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The political exigencies that faced the American literary public were of a different set.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That show aired in 2019, however, three years prior to Gunn and Safran’s appointment as the heads of DC’s film and TV business.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Our production assistants, Ava Megna and Sylvia Lovegren, along with the agent Harry Ufland, had arranged a screening at MGM for the heads of the Cannes Film Festival.—
Robbie Robertson,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crises. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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