as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of omphalos
While the rest of the world was in its accustomed turmoil, the Press, for which Ireland was the omphalos of the universe, took scant notice.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality.
—National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
While the temples have crumbled, seeing the omphalos gave me goose bumps, and left me awe-struck over Delphi’s sublime place in history.
—Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019
Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality.
—National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for omphalos
Noun
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Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Hager, who worked at three ARC centers during the span of nearly a decade, said those kinds of groups that ARC billed for were the standard and forging group notes was common.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Even as China remains one of Iran’s biggest diplomatic allies, President Xi Jinping’s support for the Islamic Republic is being constrained by a vast trail of Chinese capital across the Gulf.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
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The capital murder trial of Tanner Horner entered its second day on Wednesday, and the jury watched several hours of video showing law enforcement interrogation of Horner and the discovery of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tullman’s new complex will, of course, hardly stand alone in a city that long has been a mecca for magic.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Las Vegas is a mecca for cuisines from around the world, including Mexican, but Cantina Contramar is arguably the most significant opening by a Mexican chef in the city.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many states covet the ecosystem created by North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, a massive biotech and life sciences hub positioned between the Tar Heel State’s top universities.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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The current Hayward site became Azuma’s headquarters and manufacturing hub in 2009.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cosmic rays are a mix of different subatomic particles, including helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons bound together) or even heavier elements.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
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Try building anything when the nucleus of your team never see the floor together.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hundreds of eyes go wide, taking in the warm sweep of my navel, my hips.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Blood was drawn from his navel to evaluate his oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.—
Steven Levingston,
Vanity Fair,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Churchill Suite peers over the Ministry of Defence (where Henry VIII’s wine cellar still lurks) and was the locus of military strategising.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
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The weakening presidency The presidency of Mohammad Khatami, who was elected in 1997, demonstrated that the office could still function as a significant locus of power.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Omphalos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omphalos. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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