as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared
his book has long been a touchstone for travel writing that aspires to be literature
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Recent Examples of touchstones
And his signature projects, the Ninth Street Incline and the Eighth Street Tunnel, became touchstones of local transit lore, reminding future generations of the ingenuity that tamed Kansas City’s hills.
—
Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Writer-director Bill Condon shares some of the obvious and more obscure touchstones for the film.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Brandon Boykin grew up in a small town that claimed a tenuous link between two cultural touchstones.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
These shows launched music careers, product lines, and global fan bases, becoming cultural touchstones for a generation.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
But as a gay man growing up in Ireland in the ’70s and ’80s, there were certain pop culture touchstones that helped him through his tough youth.
—William Earl, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025
The Bowers Museum is truly one of the cultural touchstones for those of us lucky enough to live 20 minutes away.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Those touchstones of the past are almost longing for a more analog time.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Each photograph, available for purchase, will tie the brand's rock-and-roll spirit directly into the fabric of the store, creating a living gallery of cultural touchstones.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Writer-director Bill Condon shares some of the obvious and more obscure touchstones for the film.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Brandon Boykin grew up in a small town that claimed a tenuous link between two cultural touchstones.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
These shows launched music careers, product lines, and global fan bases, becoming cultural touchstones for a generation.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
But as a gay man growing up in Ireland in the ’70s and ’80s, there were certain pop culture touchstones that helped him through his tough youth.
—William Earl, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025
The Bowers Museum is truly one of the cultural touchstones for those of us lucky enough to live 20 minutes away.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Those touchstones of the past are almost longing for a more analog time.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Each photograph, available for purchase, will tie the brand's rock-and-roll spirit directly into the fabric of the store, creating a living gallery of cultural touchstones.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchstones
Noun
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By Harvard’s standards, the school’s endowment was not its primary boasting point—public-health alumni don’t tend to become billionaires —and in times of wider financial turmoil, HSPH remained well insulated, Amanda Spickard, the associate dean for research strategy and external affairs, told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
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Watch this video to learn how social media algorithms are impacting beauty standards for both men and women.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Prime and near-prime borrowers, who typically have good credit scores, are actually missing car payments at a faster rate than subprime consumers since lenders tightened financing criteria for the lowest-rung borrowers three years ago, the study found.—
Miguel Ambriz,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
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After four months of treatment, 70% of the low-dose participants met the criteria, in comparison to 42% in the placebo.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pay is typically reviewed on a cycle ‒ often annually ‒ against market benchmarks, budgets, and overall company performance.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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My trading algorithm brings structure, rules, and discipline to options traders and is beating the benchmarks.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touchstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchstones. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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