as in monuments
a tall, four-sided stone column that becomes narrower toward the top and that ends in a point
The granite obelisk stands at the exact center of the park.
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Recent Examples of obelisks
The line was marked then, as now, by obelisks, 276 of them today, placed roughly within view of one another from El Paso west to the Pacific Ocean ‒ an early attempt to harden the line in the sand.
—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
Only in the late 19th century did the United States and Mexico demarcate the international line with small stone obelisks that looked like miniature Washington monuments.
—
Geraldo L. Cadava,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
Trellises, obelisks and arbors add a dimension that plantings alone cannot achieve.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Her materials include those most basic elements of the earth—geology—and her forms borrow from totems, obelisks, prehistoric megaliths, and Indigenous Caribbean zeniths.
—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Pyramids and obelisks are sun symbols, and Hawksmoor and his fellow Masons have positioned them round the city.
—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
The Obelisco collection pays homage to the obelisks originally built at the entrances of Egyptian temples at the top of pyramids to evoke the sun’s rays to honor the Sun God Ra.
—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
10 Dec. 2025
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
Only in the late 19th century did the United States and Mexico demarcate the international line with small stone obelisks that looked like miniature Washington monuments.
—
Geraldo L. Cadava,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
Trellises, obelisks and arbors add a dimension that plantings alone cannot achieve.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Her materials include those most basic elements of the earth—geology—and her forms borrow from totems, obelisks, prehistoric megaliths, and Indigenous Caribbean zeniths.
—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Pyramids and obelisks are sun symbols, and Hawksmoor and his fellow Masons have positioned them round the city.
—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
The Obelisco collection pays homage to the obelisks originally built at the entrances of Egyptian temples at the top of pyramids to evoke the sun’s rays to honor the Sun God Ra.
—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obelisks
Noun
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While buildings and monuments safeguard the past, McGee believes the future of Kansas City jazz ultimately rests with the musicians themselves.
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Within a few years of Euromaidan, the Ukrainian government had outlawed Soviet symbols, including monuments to Lenin.
Noun
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Still, the pieces of ceiling trim dedicated to the pillars of courage and trust remained missing, a nod perhaps to the traits most easily lost when disaster strikes – and most needed to rebuild.
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The only way to preserve our republic is to strengthen the pillars of our present with the mortar of our past.
Cite this Entry
“Obelisks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obelisks. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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