crux

noun

ˈkrəks How to pronounce crux (audio)
Definition of cruxnext
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

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 crux That, for him, was the practical crux. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026 Climb Ice Cream features flavors named after terms familiar to climbers, such as pRappel (ube chocolate chip), K2 (spicy apple pie), Mount Matcha, v3 (vanilla), chocolate crux and more. — Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026 The real crux of the outrage against Spilsbury was her endorsement of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November presidential election. — Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025 But in a Big Ten Conference where height and physicality are king, two unproven big men could be the Bruins’ crux. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 1 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crux
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crux
  1. essence
  2. root
  3. core
  4. heart
  5. point
  6. kernel
Noun
  • Laura felt the rival’s ghost or essence spring away from her, as surely as if repelled.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • There’s a certain je ne se quai to French girl dressing that’s hard to pin down, but Karlie Kloss’s latest look captures its essence perfectly.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 July 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • While its roots go back to Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood in the 1930s, tiki culture blossomed after World War II, when American soldiers came back from the Pacific theater with stories of tropical islands.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • Unlike a razor, which simply cuts hair at the surface, an epilator removes it from the root by mechanically plucking multiple hairs at once.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 17 July 2026
Definition of root
Noun
  • Rookie first-round pick Cameron Carr, limited earlier by a toenail issue, added 18 points on efficient seven-for-13 shooting as the Lakers’ young core continues auditioning in Las Vegas.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili all did the same to keep as much of their championship core together during their time in San Antonio.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • England went ahead of Argentina in the 55th minute of their semifinal, but Messi found another gear and set up both late goals to break England’s hearts and keep Argentina’s run alive.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • The change of heart partly hinges on Camille’s conversations with her husband, Robert, who is freaking out over what’s been happening to Juliette.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of heart
Noun
  • But after losing by 32 points, the Hawks don’t have the point differential tiebreaker on their side.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • After an 0 for 6, three turnover game on Monday, Goldin was better Thursday, delivering eight points and nine rebounds in 27 minutes.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of point
Noun
  • Mi Rancho has been making tortillas since 1939 and continues to use whole-kernel California corn, a commitment that shows in the tortillas’ fresh taste and consistently tender texture.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 July 2026
  • The vulnerability resides in KVM, which is, in essence, a virtual machine app included in the kernel of many Linux distributions.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of kernel

Browse Nearby Words

crutches
crux
cruxes
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crux. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on crux

Nglish: Translation of crux for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crux

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

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All