cynosure

noun

ˈsī-nə-ˌshu̇r How to pronounce cynosure (audio)
Definition of cynosurenext
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

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 cynosure The former played the role of cynosure for the neophytes of the new high society, the latter remaining the bastion of genteel estates and social exclusivity. — JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025 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 It will be called the Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital Fund. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
  1. compass
  2. center
  3. direction
  4. mecca
  5. purpose
  6. capital
  7. focus
  8. hub
Noun
  • The prevailing motifs include Anglo-American boarding schools and college campuses, accoutrements with a romantic aura (billowing sleeves, melting candles), and analog artifacts (old compasses, monocles).
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
  • But this entailed an 800-mile journey over open ocean with only an ancient compass and the stars to guide them.
    — Terry W. Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • Neto bobbled the ball for an error, though, and Contreras crushed Johnson’s next pitch for his 20th homer, a 446-foot shot to left-center that left his bat at 112 mph and gave Boston a 5-3 lead.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Other research pointed in the same direction, and by 2008, Falk and other exercise physiologists were arguing against the status-quo assumption that kids had some major natural deficits in thermoregulation.
    — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
  • Their brains combine the latest cues with all that previous experience to estimate the likely speed, direction and spin of the serve—before the ball has even crossed the net.
    — Michelle Spear, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
Definition of direction
Noun
  • As one of the darkest spots in the lower 48, Grand Staircase-​Escalante is also a mecca for stargazers, with much of its acreage ranked as Bortle Class 1—​​meaning that on clear nights the Milky Way is bright enough to cast noticeable shadows and even appears to have three dimensions.
    — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 25 June 2026
  • Catawba County, along with other parts of North Carolina, have become a mecca for data center construction as demand for AI tools has increased.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026
Definition of mecca
Noun
  • However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 9 July 2026
  • First, only players with three years of NBA experience are eligible (even a portion of a season in the NBA counts as a year for two-way purposes).
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026
Definition of purpose
Noun
  • The fund will give Arada a new source of capital to fund its ambitions at a time when lenders and investors have become more cautious about Gulf real estate in the wake of the Iran war.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 July 2026
  • That capital is now tied down rather than being deployed for investment or expansion.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • The team's focus is on being golden again on race day, not on potential rivals from races like the Haskell or Jim Dandy.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • For two weeks, law enforcement agencies across the state will increase their focus on speeding as part of a statewide campaign called Operation Slowdown.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
Definition of focus
Noun
  • Shenzhen already has a reputation as one of China's major technology hubs.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Deep Light is, of course, not the only hub for cinematographers and aspiring cinematographers online.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 4 July 2026
Definition of hub

Browse Nearby Words

cynics
cynosure
cynosures
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Cite this Entry

“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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