variants
also nucleuses
1
as in centers
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a college campus that was a nucleus of opposition to the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in hearts
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
the nucleus of the movement's methodology has always been passive resistance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nuclei
This is the faint thermal afterglow from some 380,000 years after the big bang that was unleashed when the hot, foglike plasma that filled the early universe cooled and cleared as primordial atomic nuclei bonded with free electrons.
—
Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
Each target is also accompanied by a beautiful image captured by talented astrophotographers who spent hours collecting and processing their ancient light to reveal spectacular detail in their sweeping spiral arms and active nuclei.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
With less pollution, there are fewer nuclei on which water droplets aggregate to form clouds—and therefore fewer clouds, both over land and the ocean downwind, researchers hypothesize.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
Its apparently smooth screen quickly dissolves into a jiggling lattice of molecules, which in turn resolve into clouds of electrons buzzing around atomic nuclei.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
At that time, the universe was hot enough for quarks and gluons to move freely rather than being confined inside atomic nuclei.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
In its earliest days, the Universe was a hot, dense soup of subatomic particles, including hydrogen and helium nuclei, aka baryons.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025
While pulling matter in, some active galactic nuclei (AGN) release ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can reach nearby planets similarly to how the sun's radiation reaches Earth.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
Each target is also accompanied by a beautiful image captured by talented astrophotographers who spent hours collecting and processing their ancient light to reveal spectacular detail in their sweeping spiral arms and active nuclei.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
With less pollution, there are fewer nuclei on which water droplets aggregate to form clouds—and therefore fewer clouds, both over land and the ocean downwind, researchers hypothesize.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
Its apparently smooth screen quickly dissolves into a jiggling lattice of molecules, which in turn resolve into clouds of electrons buzzing around atomic nuclei.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
At that time, the universe was hot enough for quarks and gluons to move freely rather than being confined inside atomic nuclei.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
In its earliest days, the Universe was a hot, dense soup of subatomic particles, including hydrogen and helium nuclei, aka baryons.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025
While pulling matter in, some active galactic nuclei (AGN) release ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can reach nearby planets similarly to how the sun's radiation reaches Earth.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuclei
Noun
-
As gardeners head to their local garden centers early in the growing season, many seek organically sound amendments and treatments to support their vegetable gardens.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Iran struck Amazon Web Services data centers in the Middle East in early March, causing outages in a number of apps and digital services in the United Arab Emirates.—
Luke Fountain,Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Previously, an English bull terrier Border collie mix was melting hearts on social media.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
For all the success Duke has had through the years, the Blue Devils have now had hearts broken by UConn three straight times in the Big Dance.—
Noah Trister,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those crises required two large IMF deals supported by tens of billions of dollars in Gulf aid and investments, reflecting a long-standing view among Gulf capitals that stability in the most populous Arab country is key to preventing wider turmoil.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Last weekend, as Matthieu Blazy’s new collection dropped at Chanel in Dubai Mall, queues formed outside, not unlike other fashion capitals in recent weeks.—
Sujata Assomull,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the first teeny fraction of a second after that expansion started, the densities were far higher than in the cores of stars, higher than in neutron stars—actually, very close to what’s needed to create a black hole!—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The company uses primarily Colorado trees to make the wooden cores of its gear in an effort to make the production process more sustainable while also making a product that is long-lasting.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite Texas not satisfying their trio of focuses, a trio of sophomores stepped up to help carry the Longhorns to the Elite Eight.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Mar. 2026
-
For Intelligence, the new focuses are real-time device telemetry, with Intel Device IQ (more about that below) able to detect issues and trigger local AI for remediation.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Standing knee-deep in the lo‘i, covered in mud, gently pressing roots into the earth, anchored me in a new way.—
Wassan Al-Khudhairi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These five artists have combined their Indigenous roots with revolutionary artistic techniques to preserve their cultures in the face of adversity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of major hubs like New York or Los Angeles topping the list, smaller and mid-sized cities dominated the rankings.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Sweden’s migration minister has said the conservative ruling coalition approves setting up hubs outside Europe, especially for Afghan and Syrian asylum-seekers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to the bacon and sausage, this queso is packed with filling black beans, corn kernels, scallions, cheese, jalapeños, and our favorite, Rotel tomatoes.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Additionally, pollination may occur during extreme summer heat, reducing kernels on your cobs.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nuclei.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuclei. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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