as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of omphalos
In front of me was a black ovoid stone, known as the omphalos, set on the spot in Greek mythology where two eagles loosed by Zeus crossed paths at the earth’s nexus.
—
Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality.
—National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019
Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality.
—National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for omphalos
Noun
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The shifting narratives reflect the anxiety of Angelenos amid ICE raids targeting immigrants at Home Depots, churches and retail centers.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
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New York City, USA; population 8.4 million New York arguably took over from Paris as the center of the art world in the early 20th-century with influential movements like Abstract Expressionism and artists like Pollock and Rothko and later Frankenthaler.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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When employee voices lead, credibility flows through existing social capital—creating influence that brand channels can’t match.—
Brittany Garlin,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Gangs control at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince, and have launched attacks in the country’s central region in recent years.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The century-old hotel is famous for its Spanish colonial revival design, and longtime denizens still proudly reference its history as a mecca of Black music after World War II, when the likes of James Brown and Billie Holiday played its famous club.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
2 June 2025
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Known as a mecca for watersports, everyone pauses to bask in the brilliant purples, pinks, and oranges that splash into the sky as the late afternoon transitions to evening.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Noun
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With more than 300 employees and offices in California, Illinois, Florida, and India — as well as regional hubs in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Arizona — IDIQ continues to scale its reach while staying rooted in its original vision.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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Known for its poultry slaughterhouses, Gainesville is now a manufacturing hub where startups can find engineers and greenfield sites.—
Patrik Jonsson,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 June 2025
Noun
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These gathered into the nuclei of hydrogen, helium, and lithium atoms.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
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One set, stored in the nucleus, acts like an instruction manual that guides most of the cell’s activities.—
Elay Shech,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Noun
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All of you will welcome a chance to relax at home among familiar surroundings and contemplate your navel.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
21 May 2025
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Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine traditions teach that navel oiling can help with digestive issues.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Source: Club financial statements With debt comes the cost of servicing it and, in truth, the locus of United fans’ ire all those years ago.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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In April 2024, student groups at DePaul University, a longtime locus of student organizing in solidarity with Palestine, launched an encampment to protest the war, joining demonstrations on campuses across the country.—
Ikram Mohamed,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Omphalos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omphalos. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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