crisis

noun

ˈkrī-səs How to pronounce crisis (audio)
Definition of crisisnext
as in emergency
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action the governor responded swiftly and surely to the crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crisis differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crisis are contingency, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, straits, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

Where would contingency be a reasonable alternative to crisis?

The words contingency and crisis are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

When would emergency be a good substitute for crisis?

The meanings of emergency and crisis largely overlap; however, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

When is it sensible to use exigency instead of crisis?

In some situations, the words exigency and crisis are roughly equivalent. However, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

When is juncture a more appropriate choice than crisis?

Although the words juncture and crisis have much in common, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

How does the word pinch relate to other synonyms for crisis?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

How are the words strait and straits related as synonyms of crisis?

Strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

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 crisis Between the two parties, the survey found Republicans are taking more heat for the crisis than their Democratic colleagues. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 Another crisis came late in production. —Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 Ouattara came to power following a political crisis in 2010 and 2011 after Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat. —Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025 The cooperative is also behind the Partners in Care program, which pairs Nashville police officers with mental health professionals to help with calls that involve people in a behavioral crisis. —Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crisis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crisis
  1. emergency
  2. situation
  3. head
  4. extremity
  5. exigency
  6. crunch
Noun
  • In Milwaukee County, law enforcement officers are the only people who can initiate an emergency mental health detention and send someone to be evaluated for a possible involuntary hospital stay.
    — David Clarey, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The agency, now responsible for foreign aid distribution following the closure of USAID earlier this year, has prepositioned emergency supplies in six global warehouses to support affected communities.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of emergency
Noun
  • The situation had led her to question the integrity of some board members, Buchanan said in conclusion.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Following Dombrowski’s comments and his belief that Harper is unhappy with his current contract situation, Sherman opened the door to a potential offseason trade that sends Harper elsewhere.
    — Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Definition of situation
Noun
  • The network was about to hire The Daily Show host when a producer Kimmel worked with on the '90s game show Win Ben Stein's Money suggested that the head of the network watch video of him, Kimmel explained Wednesday on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • To combat this, a 4-2-3-1 can be morphed into multiple defensive shapes depending on the head coach’s preference.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of head
Noun
  • An autopsy conducted on Campbell revealed significant amount of bruising and abrasions to the boy's head, face, torso, back and extremities.
    — Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Reichardt emphasizes the extremity of the action with a strikingly novel form of cinematic narrative that, in a more ordinary drama, might feel like a facile evasion.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of extremity
Noun
  • The other two, Troy Terry and Lukáš Dostál, both signed long deals (seven and five years, respectively) as RFAs without requiring a holdout, though both had the exigency of arbitration eligibility motivating a swifter resolution.
    — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The political exigencies that faced the American literary public were of a different set.
    — Elaine L. Wang September 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of exigency
Noun
  • Utz Original Potato Chips Editors were quick to notice that this potato chip was more crumbly in texture, lacking a major crunch factor.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The supply crunch has been with older Intel 10 and 7 manufacturing technologies.
    — Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of crunch

Browse Nearby Words

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crisis
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Cite this Entry

“Crisis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crisis. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crisis

Nglish: Translation of crisis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crisis

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