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crucial moment

NOUN
critical mass
Synonyms
WEAK
climax crisis crisis point critical juncture critical point critical stage crossroads crunch time decisive moment defining moment do or die time emergency high noon irreversible momentum moment of truth pivotal point point of no return sink or swim time the Rubicon turning point zero hour
NOUN
moment of truth
Synonyms
WEAK
charged moment climax crunch decisive moment defining moment fated moment fateful moment kairos kairotic moment pregnant moment turning point when push comes to shove
NOUN
turning point
Synonyms
STRONGEST
climax critical point crux culmination juncture twist
WEAK
axis change climacteric contingency crisis critical mass critical moment critical period crossing crossroads crucial occurrence crucial period crunch cusp decisive moment defining moment development emergency exigency high noon hinge kairotic moment moment of truth nexus pass peak peripeteia pinch pivot pivotal moment point of no return race against time rising action shift strait transition turn of the tide when push comes to shove zero hour

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Instead, it turned into a crucial moment for his campaign that I had been surprised to watch unfold.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

The agency’s workforce is down more than 20% and some observers had worried if operations would suffer at a crucial moment.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

The crucial moment in the third set came when Muchova spilled a forehand long on serve to give Gauff three break points in game three, with another loose shot from the Czech sealing her fate.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

His first-innings drop of Alex Carey was a crucial moment in the game.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

Thus their first appearance in a discipline marks a crucial moment in the history of that discipline, the beginning of what, in retrospect, we may call ‘modernity’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton