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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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
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
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
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
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
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
-
Friends of Rubio say his stance and the underlying goal of a free Cuba has never wavered and continue to serve as his personal and political compass.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When thoughts race, breathe slowly and trust your inner compass to organize your feelings before responding.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Slovenian center set the team's career scoring record last month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Flash forward to the present, however, and the data centers that are popping up everywhere are amid the AI boom are most decidedly not being built in the ocean.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Each season brings brings with it a seemingly impossible comeback that ends up defining the direction of fashion.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Skafafell National Park is a 24-minute drive in the other direction from the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The tech mecca has slowly begun to emerge from one of the country’s deepest declines in downtown retail, in part through a program that peppered the city with subsidized pop-up shops.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Each January, that stillness is interrupted by the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, transforming a quiet alpine town, Davos, into a mecca of power.—
Victoria Bousis,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What's new is using criminal prosecutors for partisan purposes -- and there's no quotes about that in the case.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
That is leading people to lean on their faith for meaning and purpose.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After the war started, Rebin said that bombs would not deter him from driving to the capital once more to search for his son.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The city manager in Raleigh, the capital and second-largest city in the state, made $323,978, according to the Raleigh News & Observer’s slightly older salary database, which is from 2024.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But Shanxi's major focus and biggest success for life after coal has been tourism.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Diridon Station is now a hub for VTA’s buses and light-rail trains, Caltrain and Amtrak — and one day it may be announced as a stop for BART and high-speed rail.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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