1
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure
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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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Example Sentences
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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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However, these trips weren’t undertaken with the aid of a compass, sextant, or even a map.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 May 2025
-
That’s when values step in as your internal compass.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
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In both the book and the Kurosawa film, the tycoon at the center of the story’s conflict is in the shoe business.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2025
-
Favre’s off-the-field controversies are at the center of UNTOLD: The Fall of Favre, which began streaming Tuesday on Netflix.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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Mahan has refused to back down, maintaining that making difficult decisions is necessary to steer San Jose in the right direction.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The work would do well in Palm Springs, the mecca of all things mid-century modern.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Other common amenities include full kitchens, gas fireplaces, and oversized closets, large enough to store ski, snowboarding, and hiking gear, as this part of Wisconsin is a mecca for outdoor adventure.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2025
Noun
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This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, legal, or cryptocurrency advice.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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As new innovations take hold and produce positive results, remember to prune old practices that are no longer working or have outlived their purpose.—
Michael B. Horn,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
The capital region is just the tip of the iceberg, though.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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The Sacramento Bee 916-321-1040 Darrell Smith is The Sacramento Bee’s Equity Lab reporter covering issues important to the Black community and diverse voices in the capital region.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Over the past few weeks, as companies have started reporting weaker sales during Q1, several mentioned the Hispanic consumer as a soft driver of these results, and some recognized the need for additional focus and investment in this segment to reverse their performance.—
Isaac Mizrahi,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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While Trump emphasized that the focus would be on people with serious criminal records, immigration authorities have detained numerous nonviolent undocumented immigrants.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
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This is a massive obstacle, as China is a major minerals processing hub.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
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Brian Trainer, who founded the Sacramento Spur Club in 2014, helped cement Zebra Club as a Tottenham fan hub.—
Marcus D. Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cynosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynosure. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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