variants
also cause celebre
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
a cause célèbre from some reality TV show whose fame hadn't even lasted the proverbial 15 minutes
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Recent Examples of cause célèbre
Peters, who is 70 years old, is a cause celebre among those who insist the 2020 election was stolen.
—
Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Peters' release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Their persecution became a cause celebre of the American Evangelical movement, which convinced President George W. Bush’s administration to help broker a peace agreement that led to independence 15 years ago.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 15 Dec. 2025
Their case became a cause celebre and a polarizing one.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Their fight became a cause celebre for the left, with powerful Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker joining the cause and many cheering them on.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But some residents complained they weren’t provided enough information about the project, which became a cause celebre for Republicans who led the way in stoking fears about the prospect of communist infiltration, given the Chinese ownership of the plant’s parent company.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The idea has become a cause celebre in certain circles.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Peters' release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Their persecution became a cause celebre of the American Evangelical movement, which convinced President George W. Bush’s administration to help broker a peace agreement that led to independence 15 years ago.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 15 Dec. 2025
Their case became a cause celebre and a polarizing one.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Their fight became a cause celebre for the left, with powerful Democratic governors like California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker joining the cause and many cheering them on.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
But some residents complained they weren’t provided enough information about the project, which became a cause celebre for Republicans who led the way in stoking fears about the prospect of communist infiltration, given the Chinese ownership of the plant’s parent company.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The idea has become a cause celebre in certain circles.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause célèbre
Noun
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Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges roughly $60,000 a year in tuition and is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and attendees that include celebrities, artists and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandal for nearly two years.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Most of the galaxies in the Universe are small and faint; most of the stars in the Universe emit primarily red or even infrared light; most of the galaxies in the Universe are rich in dust; most of the Universe that’s observable to us are located at significant cosmic distances.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As reported by The Independent, social media users and Charli xcx fans were quick to defend the pop star against Bateman’s comments.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The tour is focused on getting the top names to play together more often, and reducing the number of events is one way to do that.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Saman, who asked ABC News not to use his full name for fear of his safety, was in Rasht -- the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast -- when the major protests formed.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This week's quiz highlights tourist tradeoffs, political personalities — and a whole lot more.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The program trains officers to recognize certain personality types and provides techniques for de-escalation without physical conflict.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican superstar took home the Grammy for Best Album over the weekend.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Nate Paul, the one-time superstar Austin developer who played a central role in the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, dodged jail time again Monday.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Indie Sparks writes strong heroines whose knees go weak for cinnamon roll heroes with dirty mouths and the skills to walk the talk.—
Meg Miller,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
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The greatest superhero movie ever made (give or take The Incredibles, which came out the same year) does not kick off with our hero beating a costumed villain in an epic fight scene.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cause célèbre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cause%20c%C3%A9l%C3%A8bre. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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