Meanings
- pluralplural of crossroad
- A place where one road crosses another; an intersection of two or more roads.
Near-synonym: intersection
1 more example
When they came to a crossroads where the road split off into four cardinal directions, Stanton stood squinting up at the signpost for a long time.
2010, M. K. Hobson, The Native StarSynonyms: intersection
- broadlyfigurativelyA centrally located position.
The shiny wet black triangle at the crossroads of where her legs split.
2005, Jake Logan, Slocum and the Sierra Madras Gold1 more example
Together they control the approaches to this important railway crossroads from Chester, Crewe, Wolverhampton, Hereford and Machynlleth, and the station itself via an unusual mix of semaphore and colour light signals.
2018, Rail, issue 857, July 18-July 31, article on Severn Bridge Junction signal box at Shrewsbury - figurativelyby analogyA decision point; a turning point or opportunity to change a direction, a course, or a goal.
1 more example
Well Russia at the present time is at a crossroads. It is often said that the Cold War is over and that the West has won it- that's only half true. Because what has happened is that the communists have been defeated, but the ideas of freedom now are on trial. If they don't work, there will be a reversion to, not communism which has failed, but what I call a new despotism which would pose a mortal danger to the rest of the world because it would be infected with the virus of Russian imperialism which of course has been a characteristic of Russian foreign policy for centuries.
1992 March 30, Richard Nixon, 13:46 from the start, in Richard Nixon on ‘Inside Washington’, Richard Nixon Foundation, via Seoul Broadcasting System, archived from the original on 09 Oct 2017Synonyms: turning point, watershed
- nonstandardA fork in the road.
But first he stopped his car at the crossroads where the highway forked off to Gastmann's house.
1955, Therese Pol, The judge and his hangman, translation of original by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, page 482 more examples
The Company A commander, Captain Helmer, was at the crossroads where the road split, with the left fork leading to Udenbreth, when he saw a group of men coming toward him.
2005, Phil Nordyke, All American, all the way: the combat history of the 82nd Airborne, page 723When she reached the crossroads where the trail split, one part of her yearned to head toward the lake.
2010, Raeanne Thayne, A Cold Creek Baby, page 199
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA place where one road crosses another; an intersection of two or more roads.
nounA decision point; a turning point or opportunity to change a direction, a course, or a goal.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be made
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek τριοδία
- τριοδία (triodía)intersection
Arabic مُفْتَرَق, تَقَاطُع
- مُفْتَرَق (muftaraq)intersection
- تَقَاطُع (taqāṭuʕ)intersection
Bengali চৌরাস্তা, চৌমাখা
- চৌরাস্তা (cōurasta)intersection
- চৌমাখা (cōumakha)intersection
Bulgarian кръсто́вище, кръстопъ́т
- кръсто́вище (krăstóvište)intersection
- кръстопъ́т (krăstopắt)intersection
Catalan encreuament, cruïlla
- encreuamentintersection
- cruïllaintersection
- creuerintersection
Chinese Mandarin 十字路口, 交叉口
- 十字路口 (shízìlùkǒu)intersection
- 交叉口 (jiāochākǒu)intersection
- 交叉路口 (jiāochā lùkǒu)intersection
- 十字路口 (shízìlùkǒu)decisive turning point
Czech rozcestí, křižovatka
- rozcestíintersection
- křižovatkaintersection
- rozcestídecisive turning point
- křižovatkadecisive turning point
Danish vejkryds, korsvej
- vejkrydsintersection
- korsvejdecisive turning point
- skillevejdecisive turning point
Dutch kruising, kruispunt
- kruisingintersection
- kruispuntintersection
- keerpuntdecisive turning point
Esperanto vojkruco, turnpunkto
- vojkrucointersection
- turnpunktodecisive turning point
Estonian teerist, teelahe
- teeristintersection
- teelaheintersection
Finnish risteys, tienristeys
- risteysintersection
- tienristeysintersection
- liittymäintersection
- risteyskohtacentrally located position
- tienhaaradecisive turning point
- käännekohtadecisive turning point
French carrefour, croisée des chemins
- carrefourintersection
- croisée des cheminsdecisive turning point
German Kreuzung, Straßenkreuzung
- Kreuzungintersection
- Straßenkreuzungintersection
- Querstraßeintersection
- Wegscheideintersection
- Scheidewegdecisive turning point
Greek σταυροδρόμι
- σταυροδρόμι (stavrodrómi)intersection
Hebrew צוֹמֶת
- צוֹמֶת (tsómet)intersection
Hindi चौराहा, दोराहा
- चौराहा (caurāhā)intersection
- दोराहा (dorāhā)intersection
- चौक (cauk)intersection
Hungarian keresztút, útkereszteződés
- keresztútintersection
- útkereszteződésintersection
- válaszútdecisive turning point
Icelandic gatnamót
- gatnamótintersection
Indonesian persimpangan
- persimpanganintersection
Irish crosbhóthar, crosaire
- crosbhótharintersection
- crosaireintersection
- crosbhealachintersection
Italian incrocio, crocicchio
- incrociointersection
- crocicchiointersection
- biviodecisive turning point
- punto di svoltadecisive turning point
Japanese 十字路, 十字街
- 十字路 (jūjiro)intersection
- 十字街 (jūjigai)intersection
- 交差点 (kōsaten)intersection
- 辻 (tsuji)intersection
Korean 사거리, 네거리
- 사거리 (sageori)intersection
- 네거리 (negeori)intersection
- 교차로 (gyocharo)intersection
Latin trivium, compita
- triviumintersection
- compitaintersection
- compitadecisive turning point
Latvian krustojums
- krustojumsintersection
Lithuanian sankryža
- sankryžaintersection
Malay simpang empat, persilangan
- simpang empatintersection
- persilanganintersection
- persimpangandecisive turning point
Māori ara rīpeka, rīpekanga
- ara rīpekaintersection
- rīpekangaintersection
Norwegian Bokmål gatekryss, veikryss
- gatekryssintersection
- veikryssintersection
- vegkryssintersection
Norwegian Nynorsk gatekryss, vegkryss
- gatekryssintersection
- vegkryssintersection
Polish skrzyżowanie, rozdroże
- skrzyżowanieintersection
- rozdrożeintersection
- rozstajintersection
- punkt centralnycentrally located position
- rozdrożedecisive turning point
- punkt zwrotnydecisive turning point
Portuguese cruzamento, encruzilhada
- cruzamentointersection
- encruzilhadaintersection
- encruzilhadadecisive turning point
Romanian răscruce, intersecție
- răscruceintersection
- intersecțieintersection
- răscrucedecisive turning point
- punct de răscrucedecisive turning point
Russian перекрёсток, перепу́тье
- перекрёсток (perekrjóstok)intersection
- перепу́тье (perepútʹje)intersection
- распу́тье (raspútʹje)intersection
- распу́тье (raspútʹje)decisive turning point
Slovak križovatka, rázcestie
- križovatkaintersection
- rázcestieintersection
Spanish cruce, crucero
- cruceintersection
- crucerointersection
- intersecciónintersection
- encrucijadaintersection
- encrucijadadecisive turning point
Swedish vägkorsning, korsning
- vägkorsningintersection
- korsningintersection
- gatukorsningintersection
- vägskäldecisive turning point
Tagalog sangandaan
- sangandaanintersection
Thai สี่แยก, ทางแยก
- สี่แยก (sìi-yɛ̂ɛk)intersection
- ทางแยก (taang-yɛ̂ɛk)intersection
- ชุมทาง (chum-taang)intersection
Turkish kavşak, dörtyol ağzı
- kavşakintersection
- dörtyol ağzıintersection
- yol ayrımıdecisive turning point
- dönüm noktasıdecisive turning point
Ukrainian перехре́сток, перехре́стя
- перехре́сток (perexréstok)intersection
- перехре́стя (perexréstja)intersection
- роздорі́жжя (rozdorížžja)decisive turning point
Urdu چَوراہا, دوراہا
- چَوراہا (caurāhā)intersection
- دوراہا (dorāhā)intersection
- تَقاطُع (taqātu')intersection
- چَوک (cauk)intersection
Vietnamese ngã tư, ngã ba
- ngã tưintersection
- ngã baintersection
Yiddish קרייצוועג
- קרייצוועג (kreytsveg)intersection
Cite this entry
crossroads. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossroads
“crossroads.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossroads. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crossroads,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossroads.
Source: crossroads on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.