bench mark, cardinal point, chief thing, climax, core, crisis, critical point, crux, essence, essential, essential matter, first stone, footstone, foundation stone, fundamental, gist, gravamen, great point, headstone, heart, high point, important thing, issue, kernel, keystone, landmark, main point, main thing, material point, meat, milestone, nub, pith, pivot, quoin, real issue, salient point, sine qua non, substance, substantive point, the bottom line, the point, turning point