1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the central theme of the book
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in middle
occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes
will hold the conference in the central part of the country in order to encourage delegates from both coasts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
with all of the attention being paid to the party's right and left wings, the vast central core has been largely ignored
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a health club that has become dating central for singles in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of central
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Apr. 2026
The Catholic Church emerged as one of the most important supporters of the measure, being one of the effort’s central movers from the start.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2026
Sarah Oreck, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026
Others have theorized that Heathcliff is Black, pointing to Liverpool’s history as a port city central to Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Adjective
Videos show people approaching the robot on city streets to shake hands, ask questions, and record interactions for social media, with these spontaneous encounters becoming central to its appeal.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Apr. 2026
The Catholic Church emerged as one of the most important supporters of the measure, being one of the effort’s central movers from the start.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
Estrogen plays a critical role in regulating dopamine, the neurotransmitter central to attention, memory, and motivation.
—Sarah Oreck, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026
Others have theorized that Heathcliff is Black, pointing to Liverpool’s history as a port city central to Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Recent Examples of Synonyms for central
Adjective
-
Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the leak appeared to get worse when the service module fired its main engine for the translunar injection burn on Day 2 of the flight, according to Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Their exchanges take place in a conversational middle range that puts their emotional substance—bewilderment, frustration, anger, quiet despair—into sharp and poignant contrast.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Accepts middle and high school-age children only.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That means one minute of vigorous exercise is equal to two minutes of moderate.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Even moderate rainfall can quickly transform these waterways into destructive torrents that overflow into nearby townships, including Friendswood and League City.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Hager, who worked at three ARC centers during the span of nearly a decade, said those kinds of groups that ARC billed for were the standard and forging group notes was common.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Wolves expect to challenge for Porter County Conference and postseason titles, and Powell is prepared to be a primary contributor.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Industry leaders said some migrant workers employed by the textile companies were struggling to secure liquified petroleum gas, the primary cooking fuel.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the crew made it to the halfway point between the Earth and the moon, NASA shared an update at midnight on April 4.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And finally… The highlight of Nottingham Forest’s 1-1 draw at Porto in the Europe League’s quarter-finals last night was Porto’s Martim Fernandes conceding this early own goal from not far off the halfway line.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported two separate Israeli strikes on two vehicles, one in the seafront town of Saadiyat and another on a coastal highway in neighboring Jiyeh, around 12 miles south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Last December, the airline launched service between Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Los Angeles and Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, offering a semi-private experience that sits somewhere between commercial first class and a traditional private jet.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even as China remains one of Iran’s biggest diplomatic allies, President Xi Jinping’s support for the Islamic Republic is being constrained by a vast trail of Chinese capital across the Gulf.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The capital murder trial of Tanner Horner entered its second day on Wednesday, and the jury watched several hours of video showing law enforcement interrogation of Horner and the discovery of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Central.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/central. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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