Word: juncture (noun)

Associations

"Juncture" means a particular point in time or a place where things join together.

• At a critical juncture in the project, the team decided to change their approach. Here, it means an important moment.
• The two roads meet at a juncture just outside the city. Here, it means a physical place where things connect.
• At this juncture, I think we should pause and review our progress. This means a specific moment in a process. A well-known synonym is "point." The difference is that "juncture" often implies a connection or a crucial moment, while "point" is more general.

Substitution

You can replace "juncture" with:

• "moment" (focuses on time, usually important)
• "crossroads" (often means a decision point)
• "intersection" (used more for physical places) Changing the word changes the focus: "moment" is about time, "intersection" about place, and "crossroads" often about choice.

Deconstruction

"Juncture" comes from Latin "junctura," from "jungere," which means "to join."

• "Jun-" relates to joining or connecting.
• "-cture" is a suffix forming nouns. So, "juncture" literally means a joining point.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you were at a difficult juncture in your life?
• How is a juncture different from just any moment in time?
• Can you find a place near you that could be called a juncture because roads or paths meet there?