crossroads

British  

/ ˈkrɒsˌrəʊdz /

noun

1. an area or the point at which two or more roads cross each other

2. the point at which an important choice has to be made (esp in the phrase at the crossroads )

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Explanation

The noun crossroads is great for describing a point in your life when you have to make an important decision, like when you need to choose whether to attend college or backpack across Asia. Though a literal definition of crossroads might be something like "the point where two roads meet," it is more often used in a figurative way, to mean a situation that requires some important choice must be made. The word crossroads has been used to title dozens of songs and albums over the years, and it's known in folk mythology as an otherworldly place — between two worlds — where spirits tend to congregate.

Example Sentences

He suggested a risk of similar normalisation of exploitation and that humanity was at a similar moral crossroads.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The authors find that “each fifty-year marker on America’s 250-year journey since 1776 has found our country at a crossroads of some sort.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The 34-year-old now finds himself at a crossroads.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

It takes place in Yerevan, a crossroads between Russia and the Middle East -- the two main issues on the agenda.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

I know where it is: at the crossroads.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien