Thesaurus results for CRUX

crux

noun

ˈkrəks

Definition of crux

as in essence

the central part or aspect of something under consideration the crux of the problem is that the school's current budget is totally inadequate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 crux This doesn’t apply only to the mobile suit battles but to the film’s emotional crux, the relationship between Gigi and Hathaway. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 19 May 2026 The noise reached its crux during the Oklahoma State game, after which — coincidentally or not — Peterson started playing more. — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026 And midway up the ascent, Herson encountered an unbelievably challenging crux. — Frederick Dreier, Outside, 16 Mar. 2026 That, for him, was the practical crux. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crux

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crux

Noun

Joseph Zada is beyond impressive in a highly demanding role that pushes him to the limit physically and emotionally, perfectly capturing the essence of Haymitch with all the sympathy, charm and bitterness Woody Harrelson brought to the role.

— Zack Sharf, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
First, the essence of each brand tends to manifest in aesthetics and interaction models.

— Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of essence

Noun

Becoming the first Latino directly elected to California’s highest office is a distinction Becerra was reluctant to promote on the campaign trail, preferring instead to focus on his humble roots.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
The root of Wilson’s resentment is that he was charmed by the pods version of Wilnie, who was temporarily free from real-life concerns and whose only job was to banter with him through a wall.

— Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of root

Noun

Meanwhile, the MacBook Neo's iPhone-grade chip outperformed Googlebooks’ processors in single-core performance, while losing out on multi-core performance by varying (but overall large) margins.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
As that enormous dome thinned through the Holocene, its margin withdrew up onto Baffin Island, and what’s left today is the deflated core of something that was once two miles thick.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of core

Noun

The sharpest character study lies in the potential recipient of Simon’s heart, a woman who has all but given up on having a future but then finds herself at the top of a transplant list, suddenly lucky enough to get a new life.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Ashley Padilla Padilla, who captured hearts as a star cast member of SNL this past year, made the room laugh with a toast full of jokes and references to her most notable sketches.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of heart

Noun

There's a kernel of truth to it; Ohtani was clearly limited by several injuries down the stretch, with a lengthy slump accompanying an increase in chase rate and swing and miss.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
In their experiments, the team found silicon in the kernels before irradiation.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of kernel

Browse Nearby Words

crutches

crux

cruxes

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Style

“Crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crux. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of crux

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