cynosures

noun

plural of cynosure
1
as in directions
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in centers
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosures
  1. directions
  2. centers
  3. compasses
  4. capitals
  5. purposes
  6. hubs
  7. foci
  8. meccas
Noun
  • The Aries Moon in your 2nd House of Resources squares Mercury in your 5th House of Pleasure, so money, desire, creativity, or romance could pull your attention in different directions.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The challenge is that the short and long-run effects may point to opposite policy directions.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • Their traditional decor centers around darker fabrics and pale wall coverings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The transitional kindergarten growth has siphoned more lucrative 4-year-olds from their sites — as babies and toddlers require higher staff ratios and more intense care — putting even more centers at risk of closing, research showed.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of centers
Noun
  • The prevailing motifs include Anglo-American boarding schools and college campuses, accoutrements with a romantic aura (billowing sleeves, melting candles), and analog artifacts (old compasses, monocles).
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
  • So many role-playing games spoonfeed you with compasses and waypoints and fourth-wall-breaking warnings.
    — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Definition of compasses
Noun
  • Kenneth Walker Kenneth Walker grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, which like Kansas City is regarded as one of the barbecue capitals of the world.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisement What these capitals have built is a series of bilateral relationships, some stronger than others, that function as force multipliers.
    — Ariane Tabatabai, Time, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • Instead, the Children's Trust was used and abused by the Kittrells for exclusively their own purposes and in fact the Kittrells treat the trust assets for nearly all purposes as their own.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Cost basis is the property's value for tax purposes — the starting point used to calculate a taxable gain or loss when the property is sold.
    — Sharon Epperson,Stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of purposes
Noun
  • But Golden State also has established a bar network in the region — 35 spots and counting — creating hubs for fans to gather to watch games.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Recent months have seen oil refineries, weapons factories, and e-commerce logistical hubs go up in flames, adding further strain on a Russian economy that’s already cracking from high inflation, onerous borrowing costs, and soaring debt.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of hubs
Noun
  • Investing in character and giving access to young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background, are key focuses for USA Basketball.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • When Eli Lilly reports on Wednesday morning, one of the main focuses will be on GLP-1 sales in international markets.
    — Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of foci
Noun
  • The fest is becoming a beacon for those who still pine for former jam meccas like Gathering of the Vibes, Wakarusa, Rothbury, and 10,000 Lakes.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
  • With one day left to declare candidacy in the race for Los Angeles mayor, all eyes are on Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer behind outdoor shopping meccas like The Grove.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of meccas
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cynosure
cynosures
Cyrenaic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cynosures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosures. Accessed 8 Aug. 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All