Thesaurus results for EXIGENCY

Q: How does the noun 'exigency' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exigency are contingency , crisis , emergency , juncture , pinch , straits , and strait . While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation. // provide for exigencies

Q: When can 'contingency' be used instead of 'exigency'?

In some situations, the words contingency and exigency are roughly equivalent. However, contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence. // contingency plans

Q: In what contexts can 'crisis' take the place of 'exigency'?

While in some cases nearly identical to exigency , crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference. // a crisis of confidence

Q: When is 'emergency' a more appropriate choice than 'exigency'?

Although the words emergency and exigency have much in common, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster. // the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

Q: Where would 'juncture' be a reasonable alternative to 'exigency'?

The words juncture and exigency are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. // an important juncture in our country's history

Q: How is 'pinch' related to other words for 'exigency'?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency . // come through in a pinch

Q: How are the words 'strait' and 'straits' related as synonyms of 'exigency'?

Strait , now commonly straits , applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult. // in dire straits

exigency

noun

ˈek-sə-jən(t)-sē

Definition of exigency

as in crisis

a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action the exigencies requiring snap decisions that traders on the stock exchange face every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun exigency differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exigency are contingency, crisis, emergency, juncture, pinch, straits, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

When can contingency be used instead of exigency?

In some situations, the words contingency and exigency are roughly equivalent. However, contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

In what contexts can crisis take the place of exigency?

While in some cases nearly identical to exigency, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

When is emergency a more appropriate choice than exigency?

Although the words emergency and exigency have much in common, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

Where would juncture be a reasonable alternative to exigency?

The words juncture and exigency are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

How is pinch related to other words for exigency?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

How are the words strait and straits related as synonyms of exigency?

Strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of exigency Like many other universities, those in Kentucky already permitted the termination of faculty because of severe financial problems subsequent to a declaration of financial exigency. — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2026 The likelihood of success in a second round of talks increases with the political exigencies and condition of those at the table. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026 Other neighbors were equally desperate, including Mohammad Izzo, 69, a school caretaker forced by the exigencies of war to become a groundskeeper for a makeshift cemetery at the campus located a short distance from Abdullah’s house. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026 For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas. — Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exigency

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exigency

Noun

Advertisement The protests are also occurring amid a wider crisis of political confidence in the country.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
The agency, created in 1974 in the wake of the Arab oil embargo, is tasked with maintaining energy security by deploying oil stockpiles in response to crises like the wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of crisis

Noun

An emergency program was followed by an initial slowdown in new cases after almost 20 million children received a vaccination in April and May.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
In Indiana, emergency-response professionals helped expand Stop the Bleed training in schools, and the state’s Secured School Safety Grant program now offers funding for school bleeding-control programs and kits.

— Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of emergency

Browse Nearby Words

exigencies

exigency

exigent

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“Exigency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exigency. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of exigency

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