crises

noun

plural of crisis
as in crossroads
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action the governor responded swiftly and surely to the crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crises French government bonds again sold off on growing concern that cascading political and fiscal crises would hammer the EU’s second-biggest economy and potentially ripple across the bloc. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 The relationship between financial crises and imperial strategy preoccupied Marxist scholars for more than a century. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026 Speaking of things that are unexpected, we’re used to a particular kind of Lebanese cinema that deals primarily with the Civil War and subsequent crises. — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 Six games into a season that began with Super Bowl aspirations, the Los Angeles Rams are having existential crises instead. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 And while policymakers fight about how to solve these crises, regular New Yorkers are just trying to figure out how to get by. — Liz Krueger, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 That role demands reliable equipment capable of transmitting strategic instructions during severe national security crises. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 The bottom-barrel sentiment also reflects a buildup of workers having to endure six years filled with crises, including a global pandemic, Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor said at the time of the report’s release in late September. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Latif, a hitman who’s also a father of three and a practicing Muslim, faces compounding crises when his wife dies, leaving him with a newborn who can’t tolerate formula. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crises
  1. crossroads
  2. emergencies
  3. situations
  4. exigencies
  5. heads
Noun
  • Criss’ proposal to put financial limits on the Hope Scholarship program came as West Virginia public schools arrived at a dangerous crossroads.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But after the recent mega-sale of much of his Wynwood portfolio to hedge fund executive Ken Griffin, Mana is at a crossroads.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of crossroads
Noun
  • Victims should call 911 in emergencies or call 208-986-HELP (4357) on weekdays during business hours.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The vehicles will be used to respond to emergencies and provide command and operational support.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of emergencies
Noun
  • Several situations can turn an otherwise promising credit card debt payoff strategy into a costly mistake.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Containing the ground game could put Seattle in predictable passing situations, giving the Chiefs a chance to pressure Darnold and force mistakes.
    — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of situations
Noun
  • Potential finalists will be notified via email and will be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, License of Work and Release of Liability/Publicity within three (3) days of date of notification, or a shorter time if required by exigencies, or a runner-up may be selected.
    — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
  • The exigencies of the Revolution lead to promising more people representation.
    — KEN BURNS, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Definition of exigencies
Noun
  • His aunt, Leslee Frye, is a professor for psychology and is also one of the heads of the foundation.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Measuring 84 inches by 84 inches, the bright orange canvas responds to Leonardo da Vinci’s grotesque heads, a series of ink sketches made between the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of heads

Browse Nearby Words

cris de coeur
crises
crisis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crises. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All