navels

noun

plural of navel
as in centers
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest a city that likes to regard itself as the nation's navel of art and culture

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of navels This is not a condemnation; there are bad brains and there are good navels. — Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 Why The Belly Button Isn’t Universal Not all mammals have navels. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navels
  1. centers
  2. capitals
  3. hubs
  4. meccas
  5. hearts
  6. foci
  7. nuclei
  8. seats
Noun
  • Previously, many buildings constructed after 1961 or outside the city’s largest office centers could not be converted into housing due to older rules limiting conversions, in part to preserve commercial space.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • The motion called on Lineage to keep providing resources and financial support for county community response centers, including food, water, masks and air purifiers.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of centers
Noun
  • That represents a significant eyeball shift following last season’s 50-50 split between the two fashion capitals.
    — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 1 July 2026
  • Both are attempting historic makeovers of their capitals, with an eye to their own legacies.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of capitals
Noun
  • The research is relevant to Silicon Valley and other innovation hubs and refutes White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s argument that reducing immigration will improve America’s economy.
    — Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Shenzhen already has a reputation as one of China's major technology hubs.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of hubs
Noun
  • The fest is becoming a beacon for those who still pine for former jam meccas like Gathering of the Vibes, Wakarusa, Rothbury, and 10,000 Lakes.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
  • With one day left to declare candidacy in the race for Los Angeles mayor, all eyes are on Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer behind outdoor shopping meccas like The Grove.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of meccas
Noun
  • Their coupling instantly captured the attention and hearts of fans around the world, and Swift’s presence at Chiefs games was even credited with bolstering female interest in NFL football.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • According to People, Swift and Kelce's donations are going to nonprofits located in New York, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Rhode Island—places close to the couple's hearts.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of hearts
Noun
  • Among the focuses will be communication, data, inflation, technology and the Fed's balance sheet.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 26 June 2026
  • Beyond family and football, Kane’s two main focuses, golf is the only other hobby that really moves him.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of foci
Noun
  • Unlike conventional nuclear fission reactors, fusion combines light atomic nuclei to release energy.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026
  • In this setup, neutrinos occasionally interact with atomic nuclei in the water.
    — Simon Frantz, Quanta Magazine, 24 June 2026
Definition of nuclei
Noun
  • Turner hit the next pitch into the seats for his third homer in as many games and a 5-0 lead.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • The goal of in-person work isn’t to fill seats, but to align teams for stronger collaboration and better performance.
    — Nik Froehlich, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of seats

Browse Nearby Words

navel-gazing
navels
navies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Navels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navels. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on navels

Nglish: Translation of navels for Spanish Speakers

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