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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
  • Washington can’t stop talking about AI doom scenarios and the public backlash to data centers — but around the world, sentiment toward the fast-moving technology is much more nuanced.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The team has already constructed a working proof-of-concept that measures magnetic fields by reading the spin states of the NV centers.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of centers
Noun
  • Milan was the last of the four major fashion capitals to host the event, which launched in New York in 2022, followed by editions in London, Paris and Los Angeles.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The president has never understood why Washington does not look like other capitals.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • The goal is to spread out the incoming traffic and economic stimulus beyond the major hubs and peak tourist seasons of July and August.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • While there are other logistics hubs in the region, Bahrain was a key option before the war began.
    — Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of hubs
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
Noun
  • The masked suspect who fatally shot a beloved barber while trying to steal his handmade Miami Cuban bracelet outside a Queens strip club ran off empty-handed, but left those who knew the victim with an unfathomable hole in their hearts.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Our hearts are with his family, his friends, and every member who worked alongside him.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of hearts
Noun
  • Improving infrastructure has been one of Duffy’s primary focuses since taking the helm.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of foci
Noun
  • Although Turkey maintains several bases in northern Iraq for operations against the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, the Bashiqa camp is Turkey's furthest base from its border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • His 40 steals are a career high after swiping 35 bases last year.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of bases
Noun
  • Extreme nuclear matter RHIC operated at BNL from 2000 to 2026 and was designed to investigate exotic forms of nuclear matter by colliding heavy atomic nuclei, like gold, at nearly the speed of light.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The team of researchers studied galaxies with active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at their hearts.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Sep. 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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