variants
also cause celebre
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
a cause célèbre from some reality TV show whose fame hadn't even lasted the proverbial 15 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of cause célèbre
Peters, who is 70 years old, is a cause celebre among those who insist the 2020 election was stolen.
—
Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Peters' release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Their persecution became a cause celebre of the American Evangelical movement, which convinced President George W. Bush’s administration to help broker a peace agreement that led to independence 15 years ago.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 15 Dec. 2025
Their case became a cause celebre and a polarizing one.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Their fight became a cause celebre for the left, with powerful Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker joining the cause and many cheering them on.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But some residents complained they weren’t provided enough information about the project, which became a cause celebre for Republicans who led the way in stoking fears about the prospect of communist infiltration, given the Chinese ownership of the plant’s parent company.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The idea has become a cause celebre in certain circles.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Peters' release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Their persecution became a cause celebre of the American Evangelical movement, which convinced President George W. Bush’s administration to help broker a peace agreement that led to independence 15 years ago.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 15 Dec. 2025
Their case became a cause celebre and a polarizing one.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Their fight became a cause celebre for the left, with powerful Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker joining the cause and many cheering them on.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But some residents complained they weren’t provided enough information about the project, which became a cause celebre for Republicans who led the way in stoking fears about the prospect of communist infiltration, given the Chinese ownership of the plant’s parent company.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The idea has become a cause celebre in certain circles.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause célèbre
Noun
-
But Savannah Guthrie's celebrity status has also garnered extensive resources from the federal and local government — including a $100,000 FBI reward for accurate information about her whereabouts or that could lead to an arrest and conviction of whoever took her.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The Berlin Film Festival and its celebrity attendees have been under scrutiny so far this week after jury president Wim Wenders, Golden Bear recipient Michelle Yeoh, and Sunny Dancer star Neil Patrick Harris all declined to talk about cinema’s relationship with politics and the rise of fascism.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
First, there are the concentric circle features, which look like wispy shells of ejecta blown off of the star.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The lesson came in the form of a book about eating less, handed to her by a male co-star.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The department has made public millions of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act but has withheld millions more that officials contend would reveal the names of people who accused Epstein of abuse or cover the department's legal analysis of the case.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The speech and debate clause, under Article 1, Section 6, of the Constitution, gives these members immunity from liability for defamation when reading the list of names aloud in court.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And many of the media companies have great monetization but don’t really have any of the big personalities and audiences was a really interesting point.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
With a solid base and a strong personality, these sandals are made for spring and summer travel.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hot 97 has played an outsize role for decades in debuting new hits, anointing superstars, and wading into major cultural debates; Mero’s most recent predecessor in the morning-show role is Ebro Darden, who announced the end of his 20-plus-year tenure at the station in December.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The speed skating superstar had not only won the women’s 1000m gold medal, but also set an Olympic record in the process.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hume became one of modern atheism’s great intellectual heroes by rejecting this idea.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Above one entryway, a sword is lodged in the stone, said to have found its place there in the eighth century after being thrown more than 100 miles by Roland, the hero of the medieval chanson that bears his name.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cause célèbre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause%20c%C3%A9l%C3%A8bre. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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