as in representative
something (such as a place or an event) that is seen as a small version of something much larger
The village is a microcosm of the whole country. The game was a microcosm of the entire season.
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Recent Examples of microcosm
In this sense, the film and its setting are a distinctly Japanese microcosm.
—
Blake Simons, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
Set on the eve of the German invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands, the drama explores the situation for Belgian Jews, torn between staying in their homeland amid or fleeing for an unknown destiny, through the prism of a love story and the microcosm of the broadcast radio world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2026
The tourism town of Natchez, wrestling with difficult histories, presents a microcosm for the wider United States.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
This is a microcosm of the larger point.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microcosm
Blake Simons, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
Set on the eve of the German invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands, the drama explores the situation for Belgian Jews, torn between staying in their homeland amid or fleeing for an unknown destiny, through the prism of a love story and the microcosm of the broadcast radio world.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2026
The tourism town of Natchez, wrestling with difficult histories, presents a microcosm for the wider United States.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
This is a microcosm of the larger point.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microcosm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for microcosm
Noun
-
Oncor representative Ashton Miller explained that the substation powers the surrounding neighborhood.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
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In January, Rourke’s management team set up a GoFundMe to help keep the actor in his home, with his representative Kimberly Hines listed as the benefactor.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The larvae, roughly 300 in each poop sample, were each about the size of a grain of sand.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Three weeks later, sketches were ready to be turned into samples.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
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And having the Israelis and Americans at war with Iran is a textbook example of instability in the Middle East.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Microcosm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/microcosm. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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