as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
under the polestar of progress, urban renewal programs gutted the historic districts of many cities
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 polestar
While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
Maison Proust, Paris (Image credit: Maison Proust) Opulence is the polestar at Maison Proust.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024
Durazzi had horses freely roaming the garden; inside the gallery, models were standing on a felt-padded plinth, while images of women who are the designer’s polestars—artists, scientists, and intellectuals from Phoebe Boswell to Carla Cerati to Ottessa Moshfegh—were projected on their faces.
—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023
As Twitter appears to go down in flames, with nothing on the horizon to rise in its place as the polestar of the media firmament, there is some hope that people in the press or in Hollywood may have to update their priors once more about how young activists actually talk and behave.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2022
The Brazilian restaurant has been lauded widely as a polestar of exciting food in the city.
—Dallas News, 13 Oct. 2022
And, of course, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn’s polestar for art and repertory programming.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2022
Climate change has been, and remains, the polestar of Putin’s decade-long turn away from the West.
—Stephen Lezak, The New Republic, 12 July 2022
David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
Maison Proust, Paris (Image credit: Maison Proust) Opulence is the polestar at Maison Proust.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024
Durazzi had horses freely roaming the garden; inside the gallery, models were standing on a felt-padded plinth, while images of women who are the designer’s polestars—artists, scientists, and intellectuals from Phoebe Boswell to Carla Cerati to Ottessa Moshfegh—were projected on their faces.
—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023
As Twitter appears to go down in flames, with nothing on the horizon to rise in its place as the polestar of the media firmament, there is some hope that people in the press or in Hollywood may have to update their priors once more about how young activists actually talk and behave.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2022
The Brazilian restaurant has been lauded widely as a polestar of exciting food in the city.
—Dallas News, 13 Oct. 2022
And, of course, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn’s polestar for art and repertory programming.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2022
Climate change has been, and remains, the polestar of Putin’s decade-long turn away from the West.
—Stephen Lezak, The New Republic, 12 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polestar
Noun
-
Don’t be afraid to dive into the unknown; let your heart’s desires be your compass.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
From that point the Porcupine flows about 430 miles to join the Yukon… The compass always hung around my neck, beneath binoculars, and a 35-mm camera.—
Alann B. Steen,
Outdoor Life,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
This would entail Lopez heading to the English capital and Christopher Nkunku travelling in the opposite direction to its Catalan counterpart.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
-
His regular-season numbers are astonishing, but so are his postseason stats… in the opposite direction.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polestar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polestar. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share