as in towers
a large, magnificent, or massive building
the company didn't want just a new office building—it demanded a cathedral that proclaimed its place among the giants of finance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 cathedrals
Nations do not build cathedrals, win wars, or put things into orbit through a collection of talented individuals pursuing their own agendas.
—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
In countries that really care about soccer, stadiums are open-air cathedrals to the sport.
—
Hana Kiros,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
College football’s greatest assets are its fans and cathedrals.
—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Built of local stone, the railway’s great viaducts are as grand as cathedrals, and seem to rise naturally from their landscape.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
3 May 2026
Entry is free, and the interior is genuinely stunning — the kind of stop that rewards curiosity even if cathedrals aren’t typically your thing.
—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
In February, a large contingent of city residents made the short drive into Indianapolis to one of Indiana’s most revered basketball cathedrals, Hinkle Fieldhouse.
—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
His high school gym was not the massive cathedrals built to serve the altars of Hoosier hysteria, but with 4,620 seats, the Greenfield Cougar Den is no slouch, either.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
In countries that really care about soccer, stadiums are open-air cathedrals to the sport.
—
Hana Kiros,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
College football’s greatest assets are its fans and cathedrals.
—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Built of local stone, the railway’s great viaducts are as grand as cathedrals, and seem to rise naturally from their landscape.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
3 May 2026
Entry is free, and the interior is genuinely stunning — the kind of stop that rewards curiosity even if cathedrals aren’t typically your thing.
—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
In February, a large contingent of city residents made the short drive into Indianapolis to one of Indiana’s most revered basketball cathedrals, Hinkle Fieldhouse.
—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
His high school gym was not the massive cathedrals built to serve the altars of Hoosier hysteria, but with 4,620 seats, the Greenfield Cougar Den is no slouch, either.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathedrals
Noun
-
Solow combined the properties to build 9 West 57th Street, one of midtown’s iconic office towers, with its imposing façade that slopes up and away from the street and sweeping views of Central Park available to anyone willing to pay some of the city’s highest office rents.
-
Schools hosting cell towers keep a third of that revenue; CPS redistributes the rest to all campuses, the district said.
Noun
-
There were fewer speeches and more musical performances than the norm at the typical dedications of presidential edifices.
-
Glass and steel edifices sprang up in cities around the country, and brought with them the heyday of downtowns.
Noun
-
More like a small city, larger than Pompeii, Hadrian’s Palace boasted a sprawling display of 30 monumental buildings, including palaces, libraries, baths, and theaters.
-
King Kalakaua is said to have been inspired by the grand palaces of Europe when designing his own in the islands.
Noun
-
Gojko Culibrk Cellphone videos captured thatch-roof structures engulfed in fast-spreading flames across the beachside resort.
-
Dual class share structures at Alphabet and Meta have been justified on precisely these grounds, and Musk has argued that the listing’s design will protect SpaceX’s long-term vision from activist pressure for more immediate profits.
Cite this Entry
“Cathedrals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathedrals. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
