Synonym Chooser

How does the noun juncture differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of juncture are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, pinch, straits, and strait. While all these words 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

In what contexts can contingency take the place of juncture?

While the synonyms contingency and juncture are close in meaning, contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

Where would crisis be a reasonable alternative to juncture?

Although the words crisis and juncture have much in common, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

When might emergency be a better fit than juncture?

The words emergency and juncture are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

When would exigency be a good substitute for juncture?

While in some cases nearly identical to juncture, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

How does the word pinch relate to other synonyms for juncture?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

How are the words strait and straits related as synonyms of juncture?

Strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

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 juncture Netanyahu stressed that Israel is now at a critical juncture. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025 As preseason cornerback competition will soon conclude for a unit in need of players to step up, Jones and Marshall are hot during an ideal juncture of camp with roster cuts coming Tuesday. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025 At 27, Eze is at a critical juncture in his career. Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Both of these things appear to be true at this exceptionally early juncture in his career. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for juncture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for juncture
Noun
  • Alexander currently leads Missouri with 69 total points and 60 digs while unleashing 158 total attacks in 2025.
    Brady Shanahan, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Capelli wasn’t a businessman and Chouinard wasn’t an activist at this point, but the men shared an affinity for nature and a willingness to challenge authority.
    David Gelles, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Surprisingly, cognitive decline in healthy aging isn't as simple as neurons dying, but rather neurons losing their spark at the synapse, the tiny junctions where signals leap from cell to cell.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction formed by the former Tethys Ocean and now squeezed together between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
    David Bressan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Vietnam's crisis is not yet as severe as Singapore's or some of East Asia's lowest-fertility states, but the trend line is moving in the same direction.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Today @FBIDirectorKash was in Cincinnati to announce charges in an operation targeting the fentanyl crisis.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • At his best, Enciso was exciting to watch, capable of producing magical moments and extraordinary match-winning goals.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Physicists say the results show the experiment is ready to investigate quark-gluon plasma, an exotic state of matter that existed moments after the Big Bang.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Here’s my Saturday column on the intersection of bad luck and bad decisions for the Dolphins, and how Miami must hope that’s not the case in four key areas.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Resident upset by upcoming intersection closure Mooresville resident Richard Beck criticized the closure in an email to The Charlotte Observer and local and state elected officials.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Several of President Donald Trump‘s firings of independent agency heads have made their way through the Supreme Court‘s emergency docket, but Tuesday’s ruling in a federal appeals court likely moves the justices closer to overturning a 90-year precedent on the issue.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While giving his thoughts on the situation, one former NBA star made some iconic comparisons.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This is a situation where inflation is now an emergent risk … and gold is the only game in town.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • All seven people shot, five men and two women ranging in age from 28 to 32, were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries to their lower extremities, police said.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Juncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/juncture. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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