Synonyms of nucleus

nucleus

noun

ˈnü-klē-əs 

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

• center
• hub
• capital
• mecca
• core
• base
• heart
• focus
• locus
• seat
• central
• axis
• nexus
• nerve center
• epicenter
• ground zero
• headquarters
• navel
• playground
• cynosure
• omphalos
• eye
• where it's at
• hive
• magnet
• hotbed
• kernel
• essence
• attraction
• hot spot
• pith
• playland
• thick
• soul
• nub
• happy hunting ground
• quintessence
• polestar
• deep
• lodestone

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

• core
• heart
• essence
• root
• kernel
• sum
• point
• meat
• bottom line
• sum and substance
• centerpiece
• pivot
• net
• pith
• crux
• nub
• gist
• subject
• the long and short
• keynote
• nubbin
• direction
• theme
• tenor
• substance
• bull's-eye
• meat and potatoes
• body
• content
• drift
• course
• hypothesis
• proposition
• thesis
• purport

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nucleus

Today, scientists understand cosmic rays as fast-moving nuclei – the heavy centers of atoms – from mostly hydrogen. — Jesse Liu, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

On rare occasions, however, one such particle could collide with an atomic nucleus and produce a tiny recoil — precisely the kind of event the LZ experiment is designed to detect. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Jenny Lê, the flagship’s head of operations, has become the nucleus of the store, embodying the essence of discipline, intention and collaboration that has been there from the very beginning. — Michael Anthony Hall, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

To create space for so much additional DNA, the nucleus enlarges. — Carrie Arnold contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026