1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

center 1 of 2

noun

ˈsen-tər How to pronounce center (audio)
Definition of centernext
1
as in hub
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest a stretch of coastline that has long been the area's center of tourism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in middle
an area or point that is an equal distance from all points along an edge or outer surface the center of the earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

center

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to consolidate
to bring (something) to a central point or under a single control centered administrative duties under the command of a single person

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to focus
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective the students centered their attention on final exams

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 center
Noun
The center makes the protection calls, and often, zone runs cut vertically toward the center. — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 Hundreds of people, meanwhile, from individual homeowners to those detained at the ICE processing center in Broadview, have been part of a flurry of lawsuits against the federal agents and their supervisors. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
Because the underlying mechanisms driving this persistent pain are unknown, treatment options are centered on relieving symptoms but largely fall short. — Andrew Bubak, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026 Larroudé by Sergio Hudson, which debuted Sunday, is centered around a pointed-toe stiletto pump — a personal choice for the designer inspired by his mother. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for center
Recent Examples of Synonyms for center
  1. hub
  2. middle
  3. consolidate
  4. focus
  5. capital
  6. midst
  7. concentrate
  8. mecca
Noun
  • The collaboration aims to develop a robust local supply chain and position India as a strategic manufacturing and export hub for advanced rocket systems.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The airport is one of the busiest in the country, seeing some 26 million passengers board flights out of the hub in 2025, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of hub
Noun
  • One play after a brutal Romeo Doubs drop, Maye tried to go over the middle of the field on 3rd-and-14, but he was picked off by Love.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The middle is crumbly, moist and odorless, with bits of charcoal from long-ago fires.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of middle
Verb
  • Some will consolidate, some will shrink, others will grow more strategically important.
    — Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This is a stock that earned its move and is now consolidating cleanly.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of consolidate
Verb
  • This season focuses on a woman and alleged murderer who is ultimately never found guilty of any crime.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • As to whether there might be an issue canceling the winning operator’s contract, a Parks employee who focuses on concessions shared the strange news that it had never actually been signed, Iberti said.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of focus
Noun
  • The financial bets are large enough for boards to wince at capital expenditure implications.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Tuesday that Russian strikes on Kyiv had killed one person and wounded seven other people since the start of the day, with attacks carried out on the capital's gas stations.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • The film mostly stays on Tessa’s face, which lets some of her humanity come through in the midst of the act.
    — Beandrea July, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But Jalen Duren — a primary contributor for the Pistons last regular season yet a shell of himself during the playoffs — is still in the midst of a stalemate with the front office on a new contract.
    — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of midst
Verb
  • Rather than filtering contaminants out and concentrating them into waste, this method uses ozone gas and naturally occurring microbes to break contaminants down instead of just isolating them.
    — Piper Heath, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • For women, the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause and menopause can add another layer of brain fog, difficulty concentrating and trouble recalling words or information.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of concentrate
Noun
  • The barbecue mecca in Caldwell County is home to around 18,000 people and roughly a half-hour drive from south Austin, traffic depending.
    — Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The popular theatre was a cultural mecca that drew thousands to its operas, ballets and other public events, and hosted legendary greats including Maria Callas and Franco Zeffirelli.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of mecca

Phrases Containing center

Browse Nearby Words

centenarian
center
centered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Center.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/center. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All