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
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Recent Examples of cathedrals
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
The problem is those cathedrals couldn’t move.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Grain elevators rise like prairie cathedrals.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
God appeared once, Christianity twice, and cathedrals, but not the Mother of Parliaments in London.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, capacity 100,077, is among college football's largest and most hallowed cathedrals.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Carved from porous tufa stone once covered by the sea, the four wine cathedrals are considered an engineering marvel.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
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
The problem is those cathedrals couldn’t move.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Grain elevators rise like prairie cathedrals.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
God appeared once, Christianity twice, and cathedrals, but not the Mother of Parliaments in London.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, capacity 100,077, is among college football's largest and most hallowed cathedrals.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Carved from porous tufa stone once covered by the sea, the four wine cathedrals are considered an engineering marvel.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathedrals
Noun
-
The playground would be the envy of children anywhere; Stratton, a father of two, pointed out a water park, a climbing wall, and rope climbing towers.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Green got down on one knee on a stage covered with white curtains and flanked by two tall towers of lush white flowers.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every corner of the island bears witness to physical remnants of the seven nations whose flags once crowned its edifices, giving visitors the impression of exploring a living history book still intact.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Time captive within the grand edifices of the past, parading on the stage of memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Several of the royal palaces hold public egg hunts according to the Crown’s official website, but the royal family doesn’t host or participate in any of them.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Most visitors to London see an old-world scrim of royal palaces, ancient pubs and West End theaters.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Much of the wooden buildings were destroyed by fire in 1923, later replaced with brick structures.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Some structures on the grounds are 200 years old, salvaged from the hog farm that was on the property 40-plus years ago.—
Teresa Woodard,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cathedrals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathedrals. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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