center stage

noun

1

: the central part of a theatrical stage

2

: a central or highly prominent position

an issue that has taken center stage in the campaign

center stage adjective or adverb

Synonyms of center stage

• top billing
• spotlight
• attention
• limelight
• catbird seat

Examples of center stage in a Sentence

The actor stood alone at center stage.

As we wrap up work on the old project, a new one moves to center stage.

The issue is expected to take center stage in the elections.

Recent Examples on the Web

When those demand‑side subsidies were rolled back and broad tariffs returned to center stage, momentum faded. —Paul S. Lavoie, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026

Coaching icons on center stage. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026

Better to have teams tank early, when the NBA is overshadowed by the NBA and college football’s playoff, then to have the product with its worst look when the NBA moves to center stage in the public eye. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026

Kim capped the meetings with a nighttime military parade in the capital, sharing center stage with his increasingly prominent daughter -- believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 13. —Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for center stage

• disengage
• interstage
• macrophage
• multistage
• age
• gauge
• phage
• plage
• rage
• wage
• alienage
• assuage