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
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
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
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
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
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
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
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
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
Noun
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Another powerful framework is to use a career compass instead of a career map.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Think of fair conduct as your organization’s compass.—
Shivali Kukreja,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Functionality of these three branches and the commensurate endurance of individual liberty center squarely on society’s universal respect for the rule of law.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
And an unlikely mother is forced into the center of a battle between power and destiny.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Everybody's involved in this war and struggle, and some are pulling in different directions.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Focus on short-term gains instead of purpose and long-term goals so the lack of direction creates even more ambiguity.—
Csaba Toth,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Since its founding in 1869, the university has turned Carbondale into a tiny cultural mecca and a powerful economic engine in an otherwise vast, rural region that has been battered by the decline of manufacturing and coal mining.—
Molly Parker,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
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Critics of the loophole point to Walt Disney as among the first to take advantage of it decades ago when developing its tourist mecca of resorts and theme parks near Orlando.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Gemini Shuhua Xiong Mercury Retrograde Ends in Pisces on April 7: Rewrite the narrative around purpose.—
Colin Bedell,
Them.,
3 Apr. 2025
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The remote Norwegian territories, both in the Arctic Ocean, are often mentioned together because of their geographical proximity and the fact that they are collectively designated by the International Organization for Standardization (for statistical purposes).—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had dominated the capital for most of the war, with the Sudanese army forced to set up a wartime hub at Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
6 Apr. 2025
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In Arkansas, a 5-year-old was killed Saturday by storms in the capital of Little Rock.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The move comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes for an 8% cut to the Pentagon’s budget and as the military shifts its focus away from Europe and counterterrorism missions.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Fudd said the Huskies will celebrate the win Friday night, but then the focus will shift.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There will always be a need for people to access information, and libraries are the hubs of the community.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
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The downturn has hit particularly hard in California, which remains the nation’s largest production hub.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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