the crux

noun

: the most important part of something (such as a problem, issue, puzzle, etc.)
usually + of
The crux of the matter is that people are afraid of change.
It's taken a while to get to the crux of the problem, but I think I finally understand it.

Examples of the crux in a Sentence

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Whether this arrangement is allowed under Spain’s current sports law could be the crux of Barcelona’s case. Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025 On the agenda: Freedom Caucus member Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) told The Hill that the crux of his group’s meeting will be discussing the president-elect’s agenda — which occasionally clashes with the caucus’s own — and balancing those sometimes-conflicting priorities. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025 The quorum question The question of whether 67 members constitute a quorum in the House is the crux of the dispute between House Republicans and Democrats. Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2025 While Gabe and Ethan’s political rift is the crux of the book, Harris cools the stakes to a conflict between center-left and center-right. Linda Holmes, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for the crux 

Dictionary Entries Near the crux

Cite this Entry

“The crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20crux. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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