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foci

noun

variants also focuses
plural of focus
1
as in centers
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in compasses
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus

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 foci Both inflation and the jobs market have been key focuses for Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Our Walks & Treks tours are one of our most popular tour types, however tours with culinary focuses are quickly gaining popularity. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 17 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 His explorations of being poor, marginal, and stereotyped took many forms, including drawing and painting, which are the focuses of a posthumous exhibition of his work at the Drawing Center. — Coco Fusco, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026 Beyond family and football, Kane’s two main focuses, golf is the only other hobby that really moves him. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 23 June 2026 Permanent chancellor search One of Santiago’s key focuses is appointing a permanent chancellor. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026 One of the main focuses of support for the campaign is to endow staff positions. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 June 2026 That's one of my focuses this year. — ABC News, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foci
  1. centers
  2. compasses
  3. capitals
  4. directions
  5. hubs
  6. purposes
  7. nuclei
  8. meccas
Noun
  • Most are instead forced to live inside aquariums or rehabilitation centers for the rest of their lives.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Data centers The facilities that help power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence programs are facing a bipartisan backlash across the country.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 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
  • The meetings appeared to produce no substantial breakthrough on ending the fighting, and both countries resumed their deadly air war after a weekend truce in their capitals for the American visitors.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Russia and Ukraine had agreed to pause attacks on each other’s capitals for the duration of the weekend of diplomacy, which came after months without significant progress toward resolution.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • But Gleb is being pulled in other directions at the same time, under political pressure to help the mounting war effort.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The carriers join Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk who have separately announced an expansion of their trans-Suez routing on both directions via six services since the summer.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • Under a less dire scenario, Paramount could shift its corporate headquarters to another state to qualify for incentives but still maintain large staffs in the creative hubs of Los Angeles and New York, where the company has its legal headquarters.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • By formalizing direct material corridors between Africa’s raw material producers and Asia’s manufacturing hubs, BRICS is effectively constructing an alternative supply network that bypasses traditional Western intermediaries.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of hubs
Noun
  • Whether or not the medication is truly effective for antiaging purposes remains to be seen, but the finding highlights how the burgeoning technology could make the drug discovery process easier, or at least faster.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes, the statement said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of purposes
Noun
  • Today, scientists understand cosmic rays as fast-moving nuclei – the heavy centers of atoms – from mostly hydrogen.
    — Jesse Liu, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The radiation from supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, called active galactic nuclei, are generally credited with helping to ionize gas that later forms stars.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of nuclei
Noun
  • Instead of meccas or meeting places for diehard fans, live sporting events try to position themselves as major cultural moments.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of meccas

Browse Nearby Words

focal points
foci
focus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foci.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foci. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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