navels

noun

plural of navel
as in centers
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest a city that likes to regard itself as the nation's navel of art and culture

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 navels Why The Belly Button Isn’t Universal Not all mammals have navels. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 This is not a condemnation; there are bad brains and there are good navels. — Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navels
  1. centers
  2. capitals
  3. hubs
  4. meccas
  5. hearts
  6. foci
  7. bases
  8. nuclei
Noun
  • City leaders initially approved a 45-day moratorium last month to give officials more time to study how large data centers could affect water, power, noise and air quality in Patterson.
    — Nina Burns, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Maggie’s has 27 cancer support centers around the UK and supports hundreds of thousands of people affected by cancer per year.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of centers
Noun
  • Hyperscalers, cloud providers, and AI companies racing to build the power-hungry facilities needed to train and run their systems now face a collision that is increasingly visible in state capitals and local planning meetings.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Born in Trenton, Michigan, to parents who met working at a denim store, Sherman was raised in Pittsburgh, a world away from fashion’s capitals.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • Supplies of fuel remain historically tight because three of the four global refining hubs are in severe distress.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • For the first time in 50 years, California could see a new nuclear power project at one of the country's largest trade hubs.
    — Gio Insignares, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hubs
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
Noun
  • Taylor splashed a wide-open triple from the top of the arc with 30 seconds to go to give tie the game, and then broke the visitors hearts to improve the Sky’s record to 14-22.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Although many fans have their hearts set on a single, high-demand Olympic event, others might be open to discovering different sports during the Paralympics.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hearts
Noun
  • 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
Definition of foci
Noun
  • Athletics The Athletics are led by DH Brent Rooker, who hit 39 homers and stole 11 bases last year, and right fielder Lawrence Butler, an emerging star who added 22 homers and 18 steals.
    — Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Washington Nationals The Nationals should take the next step forward as their young nucleus, led by shortstop CJ Abrams, who hit 20 homers and stole 31 bases last year, continues to develop and improve.
    — Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of bases
Noun
  • Remnant radio galaxies represent the final stage in the evolution of radio galaxies, at which point the jets from the galaxies' central regions, or active galactic nuclei (AGNs) powered by feeding supermassive black holes, have switched off.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Physicists now know that a collision between two oxygen nuclei generates a more rounded particle pattern, while crashing neon nuclei together creates a pattern more reminiscent of a bowling pin.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuclei

Browse Nearby Words

navel-gazing
navels
navies
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Cite this Entry

“Navels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navels. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on navels

Nglish: Translation of navels for Spanish Speakers

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