SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
crux
noun
The central and most important point of an issue.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Central point
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topGist is the general substance; crux is the point on which the issue particularly depends.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See crux in use
The crux of the disagreement was who would maintain the building.
A small editorial team was redesigning a printed journal whose readers often struggled to locate a particular essay. The crux of the discussion was whether the new layout would make that search easier, not whether the cover looked more fashionable.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license