1
as in center
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 core
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nucleus
Henderson, Washington, Allen, and Gaskins would provide a strong nucleus for the 2026-27 team, along with the other returning players and whoever Lucas can get from the transfer portal.
—
Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
In 2015, a nuclear physics experiment gave results that seemed to conflict with the very specific predictions for what should happen when an unstable beryllium-8 nucleus is created in an excited state.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
Quaker meeting house that later formed the nucleus of a nearby African American community.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
This region is referred to as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and its bright emissions are seen on Earth as a quasar.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nucleus
Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
In 2015, a nuclear physics experiment gave results that seemed to conflict with the very specific predictions for what should happen when an unstable beryllium-8 nucleus is created in an excited state.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
Quaker meeting house that later formed the nucleus of a nearby African American community.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
This region is referred to as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and its bright emissions are seen on Earth as a quasar.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nucleus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nucleus
Noun
-
Texas had subbed 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis out of the game with 11 seconds left after Boilermakers big man Oscar Cluff had fouled out, giving Purdue a better opportunity in the paint.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The Gators now await NBA decisions from Condon, small forward Thomas Haugh and center Rueben Chinyelu, three juniors who formed one of the nation’s top frontcourts alongside with 7-foot-1 senior reserve Micah Handlogten.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At their core, these cases are centered on allegations of corporate negligence and how tech products are built, by humans, to function.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
William Blair downgraded the stock to a hold from buy, citing intense AI competition in its core creative cloud business.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The New Yorker reviewed more than a dozen unclassified documents about ICE-tracking apps, many of them created by fusion centers—intelligence hubs created after 9/11 to share information about criminal and terrorist threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Choose a task and finish it with heart!—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The post also included a red heart.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An open-air concert in the middle of a capital city inverts all of that.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The thousands of blooming cherry trees that adorn the nation's capital have burst into ephemeral blossoms, the arrival of which marks the unofficial beginning of Washington's tourist season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Juliet is arguing that Romeo’s name is merely a label that does not define his essence.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But the soul and spirit of [the films and] the essence of the themes of those films, and the kids and all the artisans and the crafts people.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 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
-
But the film also sees the roots of toxic nativism elsewhere, especially in the wars being waged in Ukraine and Gaza, both of which become passing points of conversation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nucleus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nucleus. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
