1
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
that company is the cynosure for anyone wishing to make it in the music business
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Recent Examples of cynosure
From these beginnings, the Voice grew into a cynosure of the counterculture.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Past the age of fifty, the supple cynosure of the salons turned into something of a tottering wreck.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
MotoGP is the cynosure for those drawn to the heady blend of terror and enticement that defines the quest to go mind-numbingly fast.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2023
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
The setting had all the elements of a stirring, emotional clash: an underlying sense of betrayal, accusations of soulless greed, the prospect of transformative change and a popular, beloved figure trapped in the cynosure of the firestorm.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 16 June 2022
The Celtic cynosure in the 100-96 triumph, Tatum logged a team-best 26 points along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists while scoring 7 vital fourth-quarter points.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2022
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023
Past the age of fifty, the supple cynosure of the salons turned into something of a tottering wreck.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
MotoGP is the cynosure for those drawn to the heady blend of terror and enticement that defines the quest to go mind-numbingly fast.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2023
As their cynosure, Ernestine herself remains a cipher, full of portentous sayings but little real thought.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2022
The setting had all the elements of a stirring, emotional clash: an underlying sense of betrayal, accusations of soulless greed, the prospect of transformative change and a popular, beloved figure trapped in the cynosure of the firestorm.
—Bill Pennington, New York Times, 16 June 2022
The Celtic cynosure in the 100-96 triumph, Tatum logged a team-best 26 points along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists while scoring 7 vital fourth-quarter points.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2022
While the Sackler family, which owned Purdue, attracted intense national attention and became a cynosure of criticism after the company’s introduction of its blockbuster pill OxyContin, the Mallinckrodt brand slipped under the radar.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynosure
Noun
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Let your shared vision — to help students fulfill their dreams — be the compass that guides your governance.—
Bridget Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
-
But since Brexit, the U.K. has been economically and strategically off compass.—
Sam Knight,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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If Ukraine develops its own air defense system, this would ease Kyiv's independence on the likes of the U.S. for the protection of its population centers and vital infrastructure.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
The National Center for Education Statistics has tracked a recent drop in U.S. children’s reading abilities, yet that mostly coincides with the pandemic, and scores are still as good as or better than when the center started measuring, in 1971.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This cooling happens more in a certain direction, the direction perpendicular to the beam's direction.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2025
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What shines through loud and clear is the importance of the feelings of self-confidence and direction engendered by acquiring such wilderness skills and deploying them successfully.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Creating an even larger mecca for the music lover is an exciting prospect, especially for our intimate live events, where the world’s most exciting artists perform in-store for the admission of purchasing their new album.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2025
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Although better known as a mecca for fashion and style, Milan is the capital of the agriculture-rich Lombardy region, ensuring that restaurants and home cooks can access fresh, high-quality local ingredients.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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However, business leaders assessing their companies’ plans for 2025 and 2026 need insights about economic change in the next two years; that is the purpose of this article.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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Among its chief purposes, to honor those who kept King’s legacy alive with their own actions Thirty-seven years later, the event — now known as the largest MLK celebration in Anne Arundel County — drew some 600 guests to Maryland Live!—
Sloane Brown,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps Zuckerberg’s biggest revelation Friday was his guidance for $60 billion to $65 billion in capital expenditures for Meta in 2025.—
Derek Saul,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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The report highlights the company's intention to raise capital to fund its business plan, which includes acquiring operating companies, though no capital has been raised as of the filing date.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But, inside a federal courthouse in Brooklyn this week, the focus wasn’t squarely on Anthony’s legendary basketball career that spanned 19 seasons in the NBA, or even his budding post-retirement exploits.—
Melanie Anzidei,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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The operation began two days after the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire began and demonstrates a shift in the Israeli government’s focus.—
Tim Lister and Eugenia Yosef,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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That will include shifting some production — particularly control room production — from New York and Washington, D.C., to CNN’s Atlanta hub.—
Alex Weprin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
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Princess Kate has long been a fan of the British eyewear brand, which sells both eyeglasses and sunglasses at its two hubs in London.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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