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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
  • Think vintage navy portholes, ship compasses, and aircraft fuselage.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026
  • This hubbub somehow awakens the mysterious powers of the titular compass, transporting the twosome to ‘Golden City’ in China, modeled after the Forbidden City, where a storyline based on Chinese mythology is about to get going.
    — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • And both need the metals to build the data centers that will power their AI buildouts.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Build a Command Deck With the Control Center The Control Center was a welcome addition to iOS 7 in 2013, but its implementation still feels more like a junk drawer than a command center.
    — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Dycus appeared to have had the Winter Springs program headed in the right direction after a difficult start.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Khaled Abdul Malek, who testified about being detained and tortured under Alsheikh’s direction, praised the sentence in a statement.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of direction
Noun
  • But for lovers of all things sweet and creamy, Cheesecake Funk is today a veritable mecca for those in the know.
    — David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the region has emerged as a mecca for pro sports, with top basketball and hockey teams building elaborate practice facilities there.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of mecca
Noun
  • The domestication of transposons for new purposes has also been implicated in the evolution of the placenta — a defining feature of nearly all mammals.
    — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
  • If the customer has already left the store, a prompt telephone report may serve a similar purpose.
    — Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of purpose
Noun
  • The water level of a major reservoir supplying the bustling capital city of Jakarta -- the world's biggest metropolis -- is dropping inch by inch.
    — EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, stocks have rocketed to record highs in recent years thanks to all the capital tied to the emergence of artificial intelligence, with investors looking to gain exposure to the trend.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • The current focus is on proving that nanoscale NMR can achieve the sensitivity needed for meaningful chemical detection.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • There’s been a steady drumbeat of streaming price hikes as companies over the last few years — and months — as companies moved away from a focus on subscriber additions to profitability.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of focus
Noun
  • The city owns 14,900 parcels across the five boroughs, including municipal rooftops, parking lots, and fleet depots, that can be turned into hubs of clean energy production.
    — Mark Levine, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Last week, McClatchy newsrooms were cut severely, leaving fewer journalists than ever to cover the fast-growing hubs of the Central Valley.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 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 Sep. 2026.

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