How to Use critical in a Sentence

critical

adjective
  • We need to look at these proposed changes with a critical eye before we accept them.
  • She has a talent for critical thinking.
  • The program presents a critical analysis of the government's strategies.
  • The key critical voice in the movie is his.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 June 2026
  • And so to me, that’s sort of critical.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
  • This is the most critical step.
    — Allison Palmer updated February 25, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Sometimes the truth might be critical of this group or that group.
    — Oliver Darcy, CNN, 15 Feb. 2023
  • That gene, called rplW, seems to be the critical holdup.
    — ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
  • These changes support a healthy weight — critical for a strong heart.
    — Stacey Colino, Woman's Day, 4 Dec. 2018
  • There are those who say that the series is not quite critical enough of the armed forces.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The snowfall comes at a critical time.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • People were very critical at the start.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Burnight agrees the window is critical—and closeable.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 May 2026
  • How the group handles the pass blocking part of its job will be critical.
    — Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 7 Aug. 2024
  • That the series went on to capture critical praise is just a dream come true.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The mission in the film is critical, but so too is the one mentioned above.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Feb. 2022
  • The result is that rare thing, a profile that is both critical and fair.
    — Aimee Levitt, Chicago Reader, 31 Jan. 2018
  • But then came a critical turning point in a topsy-turvy game.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Getting that game there is something could be critical down the road.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Roads and bridges are critical but so are child care and prescription drugs.
    — Amy Nakamura, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2022
  • Sleep is critical for the body to repair itself and recharge.
    — Ebony Williams, ajc, 24 May 2022
  • Lucky for him, the show was also a huge critical success.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
  • These sources are critical for tracking the acute phase of this crisis.
    — Jed Kolko, Quartz, 27 Apr. 2020
  • Over decades of testing, there are now hundreds of splices in those critical loops.
    — Tara Copp, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Dec. 2023
  • Timing is critical on both fronts.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • But was not all of it or a critical part of it to my recollection.
    — Fox News, 28 Apr. 2018
  • The critical praise is well-deserved.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Having that same voice and verbiage is so critical.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
  • That is not to say that every store brand is a commercial and critical hit.
    — Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024
  • But that could slow down as a critical evacuation plan is put on hold.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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