Thesaurus results for OMPHALOS

omphalos

noun

ˈäm(p)-fə-ˌläs

Definition of omphalos

as in center

a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest during the Vietnam War the university's campus effectively became the area's omphalos for antiwar activity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 omphalos While the rest of the world was in its accustomed turmoil, the Press, for which Ireland was the omphalos of the universe, took scant notice. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 In front of me was a black ovoid stone, known as the omphalos, set on the spot in Greek mythology where two eagles loosed by Zeus crossed paths at the earth’s nexus. — Liz Alderman, New York Times, 9 July 2019 Zeus marked the spot with a stone called the omphalos (navel), to signify the location’s centrality. — National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for omphalos

Noun

Sequenced at the center of a three-track medley, its death-dream logic deliberately evokes the SMiLE era’s dark, confusing edge.

— Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Amid the deadlock, Hinson is making her own play for the center.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of center

Noun

While the company is a private-sector operator, it is backed by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and International Holding Company, which is affiliated with state capital.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb also met with the Ukrainian president in Norway's capital.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of capital

Noun

But in the eight years since that location opened its doors, the brand has grown, and the mall has evolved from small art galleries into a vintage mecca.

— Max Berlinger, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Food meccas include Pier 57 (hit Nom Wah for legendary dim sum, or LoLo’s on the Water for the fish fry) and, of course, Chelsea Market (try Miznon’s pita cheeseburger and roasted cauliflower, and Ayada’s mango sticky rice).

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mecca

Noun

As the storm moved eastward into continental Europe, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport warned travelers of cancellations and delays of flights to and from the busy aviation hub caused by strong winds that were battering the Netherlands.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
As emerging economies and coastal hubs face growing power shortfalls, modular floating plants offer a way to secure grid capacity while keeping the door open to future hydrogen adoption.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of hub

Noun

Of course, Sandberg is the former COO of Meta who spent more than a decade at the nucleus of Facebook and Instagram, making decisions that influenced how these platforms developed.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Many of the heaviest elements arise only in environments where lots of free neutrons crash into atomic nuclei at great velocities.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of nucleus

Noun

That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to your home to find charred remains after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to the charred remains of your home after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.

— Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of locus

Browse Nearby Words

omphali

omphalos

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Omphalos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omphalos. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of omphalos

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on omphalos

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes