1
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
that company is the cynosure for anyone wishing to make it in the music business
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynosure
From these beginnings, the Voice grew into a cynosure of the counterculture.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Past the age of fifty, the supple cynosure of the salons turned into something of a tottering wreck.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
MotoGP is the cynosure for those drawn to the heady blend of terror and enticement that defines the quest to go mind-numbingly fast.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2023
The setting had all the elements of a stirring, emotional clash: an underlying sense of betrayal, accusations of soulless greed, the prospect of transformative change and a popular, beloved figure trapped in the cynosure of the firestorm.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 16 June 2022
The Celtic cynosure in the 100-96 triumph, Tatum logged a team-best 26 points along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists while scoring 7 vital fourth-quarter points.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2022
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Past the age of fifty, the supple cynosure of the salons turned into something of a tottering wreck.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
MotoGP is the cynosure for those drawn to the heady blend of terror and enticement that defines the quest to go mind-numbingly fast.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2023
The setting had all the elements of a stirring, emotional clash: an underlying sense of betrayal, accusations of soulless greed, the prospect of transformative change and a popular, beloved figure trapped in the cynosure of the firestorm.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 16 June 2022
The Celtic cynosure in the 100-96 triumph, Tatum logged a team-best 26 points along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists while scoring 7 vital fourth-quarter points.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2022
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
Noun
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These seven essential mental health habits help highly effective CEOs ensure their compass stays true.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Not as a wound, but as a compass.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the data center blueprints running on Omniverse provide a digital twin for the design, construction, and operation of an AI data center, or AI factory as Nvidia refers to them.—
Jim McGregor,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
An even bigger concern may be whether New York has an in-house center capable of filling the 3C void.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 50-week moving average in July crossed above the 200-week moving average, indicating that an upward direction of trend may now be in place.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And radical, if coming from any direction, is not good.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ross, who’s busy trying to build West Palm Beach into a mecca, could have spoken up during the offseason when his friends assuredly told him that Miami’s cornerback group was delinquently inadequate.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
From white polka dots against black bases and brown polka dots with baby blue bases, the abstract design is gaining traction and taking on many forms within the style mecca as the rise of Y2K nostalgia inspires more playful everyday aesthetics.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Someday, yes, but not conventionally now (there are efforts underway to devise specialized LLMs that can achieve those ends, built for that vaunted purpose).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Since late last year, China has ramped up its restrictions on exports of rare earths, even demanding proof that they will not be used for military purposes.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tunnels will cut travel times between Verona and Munich by more than half to 2½ hours, between Milan and Paris by at least 30% to 4½ hours and put the Ligurian port city of Genoa within commuting distance of Italy’s finance and fashion capital — significantly remaking the Europe transit map.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
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The cathedral, a landmark of Gothic architecture in the heart of France's capital, was built around 1260 AD and stood for 850 years, seeing more visitors than the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The world champion stated that her next focus is to win the 200-meter dash in the coming days.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The focus was on now, on later today, or this weekend.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His grand plans for his production company, Nateland, which is already a multimedia hub for wholesome humor, include, among many other projects, an amusement park.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
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The underrated sale section is a hub for seriously steep discounts—up to 63% off—on garden decor, lights, and tools to help give your yard a little TLC this fall.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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