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
Calls for Peters' release have become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—
Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2026
Calls for Peters’ release have become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Her imprisonment became a cause celebre for many on the Right, and hopes were high for her appeal, but on Thursday, the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed her conviction.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 Apr. 2026
Calls for Peters' release have become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
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
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
Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2026
Calls for Peters’ release have become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Her imprisonment became a cause celebre for many on the Right, and hopes were high for her appeal, but on Thursday, the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed her conviction.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 Apr. 2026
Calls for Peters' release have become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cause célèbre
Noun
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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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
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Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Neighbors opposed to a soccer star’s plans for a six-plex in the Westside are appealing after a judge denied their request for a review.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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Along with the people-watching at a hotel known for housing stars from Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows, the new menus make the patio the best place to dine on pretty days.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Buying a car, changing your name or moving to a new address?—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
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County commissioners have not voted on the airport renaming, but emails obtained by the Miami Herald through a records request show county staffers privately raised a litany of financial, safety and legal concerns about the name change to state lawmakers late last year.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Rewind is completely different from the Rock Slide and Willys 392 -- each one of them has its own unique personality.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Lane was gifted with that kind of face and personality, too, replete with diagonal eyebrows that join his cheekbones in a quizzical demeanor that, throughout his career, has signaled the joys of life.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The best iterations of this event over the past half-century have culminated in victories by global superstars whose surnames are unnecessary.—
Jason Sobel,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for Funny AF with Kevin Hart, Hart’s new comedy competition series looking for the next superstar in stand-up, also naming contestants selected from auditions in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cecil The hero of Final Fantasy IV, Cecil is an expert swordsman.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
11 Apr. 2026
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Devereaux receives a hero’s welcome back home, but his irrational and violent behavior threatens his new livelihood, as does the knowledge of his cowardice held by Capt.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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