crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

 also  -ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs cross-country between main roads

2

usually crossroads ˈkrȯs-ˌrōdz 

 also  -ˈrōdz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

a

: the place of intersection of two or more roads

b(1)

: a small community located at such a crossroads

(2)

: a central meeting place

c

: a crucial point especially where a decision must be made

Synonyms

• carrefour
• corner
• crossing
• crossway(s)
• intersection
• junction

Examples of crossroad in a Sentence

Traffic was stopped at the crossroad.

We turned onto a crossroad.

Recent Examples on the Web

Effective wellness professionals act as strategic advisors on human performance, operating at the crossroads of HR, operations, and health management. —Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Miami Herald 305-376-3446 Jay Weaver writes about federal crime at the crossroads of South Florida and Latin America. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

The problem is that great nations throughout the history of Western civilization have been crossroads nations. —David Brooks, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025

The film follows a college professor (Julia Roberts) who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil (Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light. —Natalie Sitek, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crossroad

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• decode

Kids Definition

crossroad

noun

cross·​road ˈkrȯs-ˌrōd 

-ˈrōd

1

: a road that crosses a main road or runs across country between main roads

2

a

: a place where roads cross

—usually used in plural

b

: a small community at a crossroads

3

: a place or time at which a decision must be made