cynosure

noun

ˈsī-nə-ˌshu̇r How to pronounce cynosure (audio)
Definition of cynosurenext
1
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest that company is the cynosure for anyone wishing to make it in the music business

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 cynosure The former played the role of cynosure for the neophytes of the new high society, the latter remaining the bastion of genteel estates and social exclusivity. — JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025 From these beginnings, the Voice grew into a cynosure of the counterculture. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique. — Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023 Past the age of fifty, the supple cynosure of the salons turned into something of a tottering wreck. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023 MotoGP is the cynosure for those drawn to the heady blend of terror and enticement that defines the quest to go mind-numbingly fast. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2023 As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought. — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022 It will be called the Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital Fund. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
  1. compass
  2. center
  3. direction
  4. mecca
  5. purpose
  6. capital
  7. focus
  8. hub
Noun
  • One direction changes with the prevailing winds instead of being anchored by an internal compass.
    — Catherine Bell, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The accurate and robust biometric sensors include an optical heart rate sensor, electrical heart sensor for ECG, altimeter, ambient light sensor, a compass, a gyroscope, an underwater depth gauge, and more.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • Rosignoli also recommended the Museo Civico Naturalistico-Archeologico in Vicenza, which has finds from Lake Fimon and Teatro Berga, an actual Roman theater that once stood in the city center.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Fever played without center Aliyah Boston, who was sidelined by a right leg injury.
    — Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Cleveland Police said a Volkswagen Passat carrying five members of the public was traveling the wrong way down the A66 highway near Middlesbrough and collided with a police vehicle on the same road going in the right direction.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of constantly clutching it and taking it out of your bag for photos and map directions, a strap keeps your phone hands-free, secure, and instantly accessible.
    — Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of direction
Noun
  • 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
  • The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of mecca
Noun
  • Officers have been accused of using the technology to track people in their families and personal lives rather than for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Its sturdy purpose is to guide and tow larger vessels through locks and busy lanes.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of purpose
Noun
  • Iran’s economy was in a poor state before the war too, with dire economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran in 2025.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As the world has become less secure, Lagarde said on Wednesday, capital flows into Europe have been put at risk.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • The Moon enters Sagittarius and your 4th House of Home, Family, and Emotional Roots, pulling your focus toward rest, privacy, space, or household needs.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Initial plans were for natural gas generators that would create more emissions than the state’s two largest cities combined, which were a common point of focus for local critics.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of focus
Noun
  • Along with trying to shave the Republican advantage in the district's dozen-plus rural counties, Bohannan is also trying to gain a foothold in its more urban and suburban hubs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Santa Fe Plaza, the center of the original Spanish walled city, remains the cultural hub of downtown.
    — Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hub

Browse Nearby Words

cynics
cynosure
cynosures
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Cite this Entry

“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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