crossroads
gb/kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/ us/kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
place where roads cross
a place where two roads meet and cross
Usage pattern:
at the crossroads; a crossroads
Common mistake:
Although it looks plural, 'crossroads' is often treated as singular when it means one place (e.g., 'the crossroads is busy').
Synonyms
intersection (General term for roads crossing, often in towns and cities.)
|
junction (Common in UK English for a place where roads meet.)
Antonyms
straightaway (A stretch of road with no crossing or junction.)
Collocations
busy crossroads
|major crossroads
|rural crossroads
|traffic at the crossroads
|stop at the crossroads
|turn left at the crossroads
|a crossroads with traffic lights
|a crossroads junction
|near the crossroads
|wait at the crossroads
Themes
travel
|places
|daily_life
Examples
- There’s a small café at the crossroads just outside the village.
- Turn right at the crossroads and continue for two miles.
- The police blocked the crossroads to control the traffic.
Learner examples
- We stopped at the crossroads.
- Turn left at the crossroads.
Noun
B2
abstract
2
time to make a big choice
a moment when you must choose what to do next
Usage pattern:
at a crossroads; reach a crossroads; a crossroads in [someone]'s life/career
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use it for any small choice; it usually suggests a serious or life-changing decision.
Synonyms
turning point (Emphasizes that things will change after this moment.)
|
critical juncture (More formal; often used in politics or business.)
Antonyms
status quo (The situation staying the same rather than changing direction.)
Collocations
at a crossroads
|reach a crossroads
|stand at a crossroads
|a crossroads in my life
|a crossroads in his career
|a crossroads moment
|a crossroads decision
|a crossroads for the company
|a crossroads for the country
|a crossroads in history
Themes
life
|decisions
|work
|society
Examples
- After graduation, she found herself at a crossroads.
- The company is at a crossroads and must decide whether to expand or cut back.
- It was a crossroads in his career: stay in academia or move into industry.
Learner examples
- I am at a crossroads in my life.
- We are at a crossroads and must decide.
Noun
C1
abstract
3
meeting point of different cultures
a place where different cultures or ideas meet
Usage pattern:
a crossroads of [cultures/ideas/trade/routes]
Common mistake:
Don't confuse this meaning (a meeting place) with the 'decision point' meaning, which is about choosing between options.
Synonyms
meeting point (More literal; does not necessarily suggest mixing influences.)
|
hub (Emphasizes centrality and connections, often for transport or activity.)
Antonyms
backwater (A place that is isolated and not influenced by outside ideas or activity.)
Collocations
a crossroads of cultures
|a crossroads of civilizations
|a crossroads of ideas
|a crossroads of trade
|a crossroads between East and West
|a cultural crossroads
|a historic crossroads
|a crossroads of migration
|a crossroads of languages
|a crossroads region
Themes
culture
|history
|society
|education
Examples
- For centuries the city was a crossroads of trade and culture.
- The port became a crossroads where languages and customs mixed.
- The festival celebrates the region as a crossroads of musical traditions.
Learner examples
- The city is a crossroads of cultures.
Noun
B2
entity
4
small settlement at an intersection
a small place where roads meet
Usage pattern:
a crossroads; at the crossroads
Common mistake:
This sense is more common in rural descriptions; in cities, 'intersection' is usually preferred.
Synonyms
hamlet (A very small village; not necessarily at a road intersection.)
|
village (Often larger; does not specifically indicate roads crossing.)
Antonyms
city (Much larger settlement, not defined by a single junction.)
Collocations
a tiny crossroads
|a sleepy crossroads
|a crossroads village
|a store at the crossroads
|a church at the crossroads
|a pub at the crossroads
|a farmhouse near the crossroads
|a crossroads community
|a crossroads town
|out at the crossroads
Themes
places
|travel
Examples
- They lived in a crossroads with a post office and one grocery store.
- We stopped overnight at a crossroads on the old highway.
- A single gas station marked the crossroads.
Learner examples
- There is a shop at the crossroads.
Grammar
Dictionary form
crossroads
IPA
GB/kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
US/kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
Syllables & stress
cross - roads (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cross)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: crossroads
- Plural: crossroads
Word family
Expressions
a crossroads of
1/ə kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz əv/
fixed phrase
place where influences meet
a place where different things meet
Examples
- The island has long been a crossroads of cultures.
- The university is a crossroads of ideas from around the world.
- The region became a crossroads of trade between north and south.
at a crossroads
1/ˈæt ə kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
idiom
needing to choose a direction
having to make an important choice
Examples
- I’m at a crossroads and I don’t know which job to take.
- The project is at a crossroads after the funding was cut.
- She knew she was at a crossroads when she moved to a new country.
reach a crossroads
1/ɹˈit͡ʃ ə kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
fixed phrase
arrive at a decision point
to come to a time when you must choose
Examples
- We’ve reached a crossroads: either invest more or shut the project down.
- After ten years in the role, he reached a crossroads in his career.
- The talks reached a crossroads when neither side would compromise.
stand at a crossroads
1/stˈænd ˈæt ə kɹˈɔsɹˌoʊdz/
fixed phrase
be at a turning point
to be at an important moment of choice
Examples
- The country stands at a crossroads after the election.
- The industry stands at a crossroads as new technology takes over.
- She felt she stood at a crossroads, unsure which path to follow.