the crux
noun
: the most important part of something (such as a problem, issue, puzzle, etc.)
—usually + of
The crux of the matter is that people are afraid of change.
It's taken a while to get to the crux of the problem, but I think I finally understand it.
Examples of the crux in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fellow wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who missed the previous two practices, was back in uniform but mostly did conditioning work and didn’t take part in the crux of practice.
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Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The obstacles that come in this love story and how the lovers tackle them forms the crux of Saiyaara.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
How the family responds and learns to move forward is the crux of this debut novel.
—The Know, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
In a sense, the drift becomes the crux of the story.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the crux
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Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The obstacles that come in this love story and how the lovers tackle them forms the crux of Saiyaara.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
How the family responds and learns to move forward is the crux of this debut novel.
—The Know, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
In a sense, the drift becomes the crux of the story.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the crux
Cite this Entry
“The crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20crux. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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