nucleus

noun

ˈnü-klē-əs How to pronounce nucleus (audio)
Definition of nucleusnext
1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest a college campus that was a nucleus of opposition to the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in core
the central part or aspect of something under consideration the nucleus of the movement's methodology has always been passive resistance

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 nucleus There is a nucleus of practitioners, including physicians, engineers, insurers, city planners, and founders, who understand both the risk and the technology landscape at once. — Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Having earned a law degree from Harvard, Warsh joined the investment bank’s mergers and acquisitions department in 1995, the nucleus where negotiation meets financial expertise. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 July 2026 From Hollywood to the Disney Channel and Coca-Cola to Levi’s, for much of the 20th century, America was the nucleus of pop culture. — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 29 June 2026 The nucleus disassembles, letting these crucial genetic instructions float free in the cell’s soupy interior. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nucleus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nucleus
  1. center
  2. core
  3. hub
  4. heart
  5. capital
  6. essence
  7. mecca
  8. root
Noun
  • His eventual dismissal in second-half stoppage time was an exercise in rash stupidity, crashing through Spain’s teenage center back Pau Cubarsi.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Nestle the feta in the center of the sheet pan among the tomatoes and gnocchi.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • The core interest aside from this being the final of a six-week long competition that only happens every four years is the country of Messi’s birth taking on the country that raised him.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Since the brain needs to drop its core temperature by roughly a degree to descend into deep sleep, a bedroom temperature of around 65-67 degrees Fahrenheit will help.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • In El-Obeid, a strategic trade and aid hub that is home to more than half a million people, many now fear what comes from the sky.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • In Europe, Moscow launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks against Ukraine, while Kyiv ramped up its bombing campaign by targeting logistics hubs belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of hub
Noun
  • England went ahead of Argentina in the 55th minute of their semifinal, but Messi found another gear and set up both late goals to break England’s hearts and keep Argentina’s run alive.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • The change of heart partly hinges on Camille’s conversations with her husband, Robert, who is freaking out over what’s been happening to Juliette.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of heart
Noun
  • Authorities in the Belgian capital said that a number of charred bodies had been found in an elevator at the site.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Collado said the capital regional area has more than 9,000 hotel rooms, along with thousands of short-term rental units.
    — Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • Laura felt the rival’s ghost or essence spring away from her, as surely as if repelled.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • There’s a certain je ne se quai to French girl dressing that’s hard to pin down, but Karlie Kloss’s latest look captures its essence perfectly.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 July 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • As one of the darkest spots in the lower 48, Grand Staircase-​Escalante is also a mecca for stargazers, with much of its acreage ranked as Bortle Class 1—​​meaning that on clear nights the Milky Way is bright enough to cast noticeable shadows and even appears to have three dimensions.
    — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 25 June 2026
Definition of mecca
Noun
  • While its roots go back to Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood in the 1930s, tiki culture blossomed after World War II, when American soldiers came back from the Pacific theater with stories of tropical islands.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • Unlike a razor, which simply cuts hair at the surface, an epilator removes it from the root by mechanically plucking multiple hairs at once.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 17 July 2026
Definition of root

Browse Nearby Words

nuclei
nucleus
nude
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Cite this Entry

“Nucleus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nucleus. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nucleus

Nglish: Translation of nucleus for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nucleus

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