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
California natives, the two shared more cultural touchstones from early YouTube and Reddit than life on the West Coast.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
There are certain touchstones of life that demand a respectful response.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The halftime show, even the commercials, offer major cultural touchstones.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Rosanna Arquette is known for a lot of things, including being the eldest sibling in the famous Arquette family of actors, as well as for her roles in pop culture touchstones like 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan and 1994’s Pulp Fiction.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Its touchstones appeared to be recently booming phenomena including country music, TikTok tradwives, and mixed martial arts.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
There’s a sweetness to the comfort of childhood touchstones and shared history in a world gone psychotic with death and destruction.
—Katie Walsh, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Now, one of those pictures hangs from Holly’s rearview mirror in her car, one of many touchstones.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s a sweetness to the comfort of childhood touchstones and shared history in a world gone psychotic with death and destruction.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
There are certain touchstones of life that demand a respectful response.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The halftime show, even the commercials, offer major cultural touchstones.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Rosanna Arquette is known for a lot of things, including being the eldest sibling in the famous Arquette family of actors, as well as for her roles in pop culture touchstones like 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan and 1994’s Pulp Fiction.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Its touchstones appeared to be recently booming phenomena including country music, TikTok tradwives, and mixed martial arts.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
There’s a sweetness to the comfort of childhood touchstones and shared history in a world gone psychotic with death and destruction.
—Katie Walsh, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Now, one of those pictures hangs from Holly’s rearview mirror in her car, one of many touchstones.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s a sweetness to the comfort of childhood touchstones and shared history in a world gone psychotic with death and destruction.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchstones
Noun
-
The judge ruled that the Legislature had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Environmental advocates opposed relying on voluntary agreements as the plan’s primary pathway, instead pushing for firm, enforceable minimum flow standards, while water agencies continued to support the voluntary approach.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The new decision tree is intended to prevent a repeat of those problems by laying out clear criteria the council must consider before putting another bond package on the ballot.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
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Approval depends on strict IRS eligibility criteria.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Winners are grouped in Large, Midsize, Small or Real Estate categories, and earn recognition if their scores exceed national standard benchmarks (set by Energage) and rank among the top tier of all the organizations surveyed.—
Glenn Hunter,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Different accrediting bodies have different requirements, but already having students, operating as a school and proving financial stability are typical benchmarks.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touchstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchstones. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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