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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 omphalos
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
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
-
The source of the flare is an active galactic nucleus, or AGN — a bright, compact region at the center of a galaxy — and it’s powered by a supermassive black hole that is actively feeding on material.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Global capability centers have evolved far beyond tech support, but their growth presents challenges for multinationals and Indian cities alike.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Criticism of India As the leader of the US’ largest city and financial capital, any mayor of New York is given an outsized role on the world stage.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The next morning, Burgher parents—oblivious to the fighting that had broken out in the capital—had lined the walkways and cheered as their children filed into schools with pencils and notebooks and tense faces, some bravely managing a smile, others rigid with fear.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Gilbert’s real estate company developed the complex at the former Hudson’s, a shopping mecca for generations that closed in 1983.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Jackson Hole, Wyoming A rugged and untamed spirit defines Jackson Hole, a resort that has long earned its reputation as a mecca for expert skiers.—
Charles Curkin,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Food hubs can increase local food access by aggregating food products from small to mid-sized farms and distributing them to underserved communities, schools, hospitals and retail stores.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The flight originated in Alexandria, Louisiana, home to the largest deportation hub in the United States, then made a stop in Atlanta, and continued south to Tapachula, according to ICE Flight Monitor, which tracks ICE flight data on behalf of Human Rights First, an advocacy group.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Filippenko did not participate in the new research, but his work has established a strong foundation for active galactic nuclei physics.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Its nucleus is also far bigger than other notable comets, while its arrival time was fine-tuned to bring it within tens of millions of kilometers from Mars, Venus and Jupiter and be unobservable from Earth at perihelion, along with other unexpected properties.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even the most basic suits tended to be unbuttoned to the navel.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The actress famously wore a pink two-piece with high-waisted, billowing pants and a crop top that concealed her navel.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The station has been the locus of thousands of scientific and engineering studies using almost 200 distinct scientific facilities, investigating everything from astronomical phenomena and basic physics to crew health and plant growth.—
Justin St. P. Walsh,
The Conversation,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Omphalos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omphalos. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share