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
The former played the role of cynosure for the neophytes of the new high society, the latter remaining the bastion of genteel estates and social exclusivity.
—
JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
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
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
It will be called the Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital Fund.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
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
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
It will be called the Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital Fund.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
Noun
-
So what if the compass hallucinates half the time?—
Caroline Rose Giuliani,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
But a new study of one bull ant species shows the insects continue to navigate when the sun goes down—using an innate lunar compass.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
But Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL last December, is ahead of schedule and will likely be under center when these two teams square off in early November.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
The tension spilled into election issues, including accusations that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized ballots in a voter‑fraud investigation, now at the center of a legal fight with the state attorney general.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The draft was the league’s first step in this direction.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The legal system is moving in both directions at once.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Once the snow melts, the resort transforms into a downhill mountain biking mecca featuring more than 80 miles of singletrack.—
Sharael Kolberg,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
Once regarded as a mecca for luxury shopping, drawing visitors from across Chicagoland to experience a level of polish few suburban malls could hope to surpass, Northbrook Court today is something akin to a retail wasteland.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Each object was made by someone, with a precise intention—to embody a necessary purpose, once held in relation to a community.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, Anthropic argued that the US still holds several major advantages, including stronger chip ecosystems, leading AI companies, and broader access to capital for large-scale AI infrastructure.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The rise in energy costs is in focus as G7 finance ministers and central bankers meet in Paris later Monday.—
Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
As a result of the transformations which are the focus of this book, that engine has departed very far from the euphoric expectations of the previous era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Built from the bones of a 12th-century hostelry, its hub is a vast, glamorous lounge bar complete with mixologists shaking modern-day mocktails under the ancient beams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
Riyadh ordered government entities to freeze payments to strategy advisers, management consultants, and law firms, which were central to the kingdom’s efforts to reinvent its economy and become a global business and entertainment hub, Semafor reported.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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