crises
Times demanding action
Crises is the plural of crisis—a point of danger, difficulty, or decisive change.
A single crisis demands attention; multiple crises can overwhelm: The administration faced overlapping crises in health care, housing, and foreign policy.
The word retains its Greek plural form, though "crisises" occasionally appears in informal speech.
Sudden ruinous event
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- reliefEasing of distress
rescue · triage · urgent · 911 · SOS · paramedics · shelter · aid
Meeting of routes
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- precipiceSteep rock face
- brinkCritical boundary point
- RubiconBoundary once passed, irrevocable
pivotal · decisive · defining · juncture · culmination · threshold · make-or-break · climax
Complete disorder and confusion
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
- unrestState of public disturbance
- turmoilViolent disturbance or confusion
disruption · strife · pandemonium · mayhem · anarchy · disarray · disturbance · bedlam
Decisive final confrontation
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
- face-offDirect clash between opponents
dispute · hostilities · escalation · brinkmanship · impasse · deadlock · stalemate · tension
Relating to money
- economicRelated to money systems
- politicalOf government matters
- constitutionalHealth-promoting walk
- existentialRelating to existence itself
humanitarian · refugee · environmental · climate · energy · housing · healthcare · identity
disaster
Sudden ruinous event
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- evacuationRemoval from danger
relief · rescue · triage · urgent · 911 · SOS · paramedics · shelter · aid · survival
crossroads
Meeting of routes
Rubicon · pivotal · decisive · defining · juncture · culmination · threshold · make-or-break · climax · reckoning
chaos
Complete disorder and confusion
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
- unrestState of public disturbance
turmoil · disruption · strife · pandemonium · mayhem · anarchy · disarray · disturbance · bedlam · commotion
showdown
Decisive final confrontation
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
face-off · dispute · hostilities · escalation · brinkmanship · impasse · deadlock · stalemate · tension · flashpoint
financial
Relating to money
- economicRelated to money systems
- politicalOf government matters
- constitutionalHealth-promoting walk
existential · humanitarian · refugee · environmental · climate · energy · housing · healthcare · identity · midlife
- What Could Happenoutcomes, scenarios, possibilities, probabilities, hypotheticals
- biographiesbiography, biographies, autobiography, autobiographies, memoir
- politicsdemocracy, campaigning, campaigns, democrats, bill
crisestrivialities
Insignificant matters
trifles · hiccups · inconveniences · non-issues · annoyances
crisesstability
Resistance to displacement
equilibrium · normalcy · calm · peace · tranquility
criseswindfalls
Unexpected gains or benefits
blessings · strokes of luck · opportunities · triumphs · breakthroughs
- midlife crisisExistential distress at life's halfway point
- identity crisisLoss of personal certainty
- mid-life crisisMiddle-aged existential distress
- energy crisisSevere fuel supply disruption
- financial crisisSevere economic system breakdown
- housing crisisSevere lack of affordable dwellings