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
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
The film’s creators embodied these thematic touchstones throughout its inception and development.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Bush's comments became cultural touchstones for government failure, widely mocked and criticized.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The timeline is assembled in such a way that emotional touchstones can sometimes feel manipulative, considering how ruthlessly unsentimental Bobo’s narration sounds.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
In the context of Ocean’s Godori’s futuristic Korean milieu, there are plenty of Korean cultural touchstones.
—Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The film’s creators embodied these thematic touchstones throughout its inception and development.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Bush's comments became cultural touchstones for government failure, widely mocked and criticized.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The timeline is assembled in such a way that emotional touchstones can sometimes feel manipulative, considering how ruthlessly unsentimental Bobo’s narration sounds.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
In the context of Ocean’s Godori’s futuristic Korean milieu, there are plenty of Korean cultural touchstones.
—Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchstones
Noun
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But Republicans should question their own members who fail in other areas that require adherence to basic standards of conscience and competence.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Align With Compliance Work with your legal team to ensure the policy meets any relevant laws or standards, such as HIPAA in healthcare, GDPR in the EU or other data protection rules.—
Mike Rosen,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But many Americans who don't meet the new criteria do still want to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick or spreading the virus to vulnerable family members.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
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However, successful implementation requires careful vendor selection based on specific enterprise criteria.—
Dave Glaser,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to Arya, the index allows investors to track a very different opportunity than what is captured in major benchmarks.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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My top tip is to assess whether travel is truly necessary by setting clear ROI benchmarks.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touchstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchstones. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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