1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the central theme of the book
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in middle
occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes
will hold the conference in the central part of the country in order to encourage delegates from both coasts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
with all of the attention being paid to the party's right and left wings, the vast central core has been largely ignored
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a health club that has become dating central for singles in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of central
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Other areas prone to drought during El Niño include northern sections of South America (including parts of the Amazon rainforest), central and southern Africa and India.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Sarah Oreck, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026
Others have theorized that Heathcliff is Black, pointing to Liverpool’s history as a port city central to Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Adjective
In the two-parter, which airs April 14 (8PM – 10 PM), the series’ central character, Amy (Molly Parker) will risk her life for one of the series’ main villains, Richard (Scott Wolf), who had killed a patient, tried to cover it up and blamed it on Amy, almost ending her career.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Other areas prone to drought during El Niño include northern sections of South America (including parts of the Amazon rainforest), central and southern Africa and India.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
Estrogen plays a critical role in regulating dopamine, the neurotransmitter central to attention, memory, and motivation.
—Sarah Oreck, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026
Others have theorized that Heathcliff is Black, pointing to Liverpool’s history as a port city central to Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Recent Examples of Synonyms for central
Adjective
-
Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the leak appeared to get worse when the service module fired its main engine for the translunar injection burn on Day 2 of the flight, according to Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Their exchanges take place in a conversational middle range that puts their emotional substance—bewilderment, frustration, anger, quiet despair—into sharp and poignant contrast.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Accepts middle and high school-age children only.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mice with moderate triglyceride levels had accelerated aneurysms form, those with higher levels experienced an aortic dissection or tear, and most mice with severely high concentrations died from an aortic rupture.—
Brianna Abbott,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
-
After the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes, an economist whose personal life was full of love affairs with leading literary figures, suggested that governments could prevent, or at least moderate, these booms and busts.—
Alex Mayyasi,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Hager, who worked at three ARC centers during the span of nearly a decade, said those kinds of groups that ARC billed for were the standard and forging group notes was common.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Wolves expect to challenge for Porter County Conference and postseason titles, and Powell is prepared to be a primary contributor.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Industry leaders said some migrant workers employed by the textile companies were struggling to secure liquified petroleum gas, the primary cooking fuel.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of his right-footed attempts, uncorked with minimal backlift, crashes against the bar with such force that the noise reverberates around the ground and the ball bounces out towards the halfway line.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The second line scored a highlight-reel goal to make it 4-0 before the halfway point of the period.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Powered by nutrient-dense lupini beans, Kaizen’s pasta, rice and mac & cheese deliver over 20 grams of protein per serving, 80-85% fewer carbs than traditional options and 15 grams of fiber while remaining gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Other gifts included a traditional Bedouin tent and tables, cushions and carpets that Epstein later set up on his island.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even as China remains one of Iran’s biggest diplomatic allies, President Xi Jinping’s support for the Islamic Republic is being constrained by a vast trail of Chinese capital across the Gulf.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
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The capital murder trial of Tanner Horner entered its second day on Wednesday, and the jury watched several hours of video showing law enforcement interrogation of Horner and the discovery of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Central.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/central. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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