as in crossroads
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
the governor responded swiftly and surely to the crisis
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Recent Examples of crises
At and after the end of the Second World War, Italian filmmakers responded with a new freedom to the traumas of Fascism and German Occupation as well as to the crises of American intervention amid Italy’s efforts to rebuild physically, politically, and morally.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Joining Air New Zealand just as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed, Foran tackled a series of crises, from persistent shortages of engine components to the grounding of up to 11 aircraft.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
Many of his song lyrics criticize the ineffective response by the government in Puerto Rico to crises like the hurricanes that have pummeled the island and caused island-wide blackouts in recent years.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Sandler proposes a Conference of Parties (COP) approach — similar to processes used in climate, biodiversity and arms-control negotiations — for discussing and tackling key issues in space governance, aimed at driving dialogue and developing binding norms, before avoidable crises emerge.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2026
As the eastern United States endures a frigid February, advocates for incarcerated people are bracing for the annual influx of complaints about a lack of heating and warm clothing, problems that can be exacerbated by temporary crises like power outages during a storm.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Effective responses to multiple civic crises in today’s America depend on analysis of how people develop capacities for work on public challenges.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
So whatever successes – or failures – South Korea experiences will inform how other countries battle their own crises.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Joining Air New Zealand just as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed, Foran tackled a series of crises, from persistent shortages of engine components to the grounding of up to 11 aircraft.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
Many of his song lyrics criticize the ineffective response by the government in Puerto Rico to crises like the hurricanes that have pummeled the island and caused island-wide blackouts in recent years.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Sandler proposes a Conference of Parties (COP) approach — similar to processes used in climate, biodiversity and arms-control negotiations — for discussing and tackling key issues in space governance, aimed at driving dialogue and developing binding norms, before avoidable crises emerge.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2026
As the eastern United States endures a frigid February, advocates for incarcerated people are bracing for the annual influx of complaints about a lack of heating and warm clothing, problems that can be exacerbated by temporary crises like power outages during a storm.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Effective responses to multiple civic crises in today’s America depend on analysis of how people develop capacities for work on public challenges.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
So whatever successes – or failures – South Korea experiences will inform how other countries battle their own crises.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crises
Noun
-
Joe Palaggi is a writer and historian whose work sits at the crossroads of theology, politics, and American civic culture.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Maryland stands at a crossroads.—
Steve Hershey,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Concierge tenants have sustained frozen pipe emergencies during the past several winters, but never on as widespread a scale as this time.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
-
This bill would expand the list of qualified petitioners to include behavioral health professionals who are co-responders with police or other authorities in emergencies, as well as health care and educational institutions.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The sense is the Panthers would bring Rozeboom back at the right price, while trying to limit his exposure in passing situations.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Designed for sports, workouts, and outdoor activities, including extreme situations like chasing a departing plane, the glasses feature a smart camera, immersive audio, and built-in Meta AI for everyday performance.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The political exigencies that faced the American literary public were of a different set.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This diagnosis, obviously, was an enormous gut-wrenching shock, and the exigencies of Greg’s life were instantly and inexorably altered.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 Aug. 2020
Noun
-
Three actors wearing oversized cartoonish heads portrayed Italian composers Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and Gioachino Rossini tagged along from much of the first half of the production.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The starting 11 for Woodrow Wilson soccer team bowed their heads during a moment of silence for their slain teammate Wornan Padilla Garcia before their game against the Mesquite Poteet Pirates, February 6, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crises. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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