Meaning & use
being at a crossroads
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
the state of being at a point in life or a process where a major decision must be made
Grammar: Used after the verb be or stand: 'We are at a crossroads.' It is not used with an article before 'crossroads'.
Patterns
- be at a crossroads
- stand at a crossroads
- reach a crossroads
After twenty years in the same job, she felt she was at a crossroads and needed a change.
The company is at a crossroads: it can either expand overseas or focus on its home market.
Being at a crossroads can be scary, but it also brings new opportunities.
Common combinations
- be at a crossroads
- He is at a crossroads in his career and doesn't know which way to turn.
- stand at a crossroads
- The country stands at a crossroads, with two very different futures ahead.
- reach a crossroads
- The peace talks have reached a crossroads and need a breakthrough.
- a career crossroads
- Many people face a career crossroads in their forties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- turning point
- A turning point is a moment of important change, but it does not always involve a choice; 'crossroads' emphasizes the need to decide.
- juncture
- Juncture is more formal and often used in 'at this juncture'; it can mean a point in time, not necessarily a decision point.
Commonly confused: being at a crossroads or crossroad?
being at a crossroads vs crossroad
In American English, 'crossroad' can mean a road that crosses another, but the idiom always uses the plural 'crossroads'.
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom 'being at a crossroads' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The idiom is 'be at a crossroads' with no article. Option 2 is correct. Option 1 uses 'being' unnecessarily; option 3 adds 'the'; option 4 uses the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “being at a crossroads”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.