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as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a life that seemed to lack any direction other than the mindless pursuit of empty pleasures

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in trend
a prevailing or general movement or inclination some older people worry about the overall direction that political discourse has taken lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 direction Cosmic rays bounce across the universe in all directions, meaning Earth is bombarded from all sides by trillions of them. Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 July 2025 They’re mostly arranged in bundles that tend to run in a dominant direction, depending on the body part. New Atlas, 24 July 2025 This 'documentary' paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that's the direction of entertainment these days. Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 24 July 2025 They’re then added into the mascarpone mixture one spoonful at a time, while stirring gently in the same direction to achieve a consistent light and airy texture. Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for direction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for direction
Noun
  • Opt-in systems are most effective when paired with instruction about disasters and how to respond to warnings, Sellnow said, making education a crucial responsibility of local governments.
    Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • Ripa's follow-up instructions, however, sent him off the deep end.
    EW.com, EW.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Leslie Lee, Head of Product at Squid AI, brings 20 years in enterprise AI, data analytics, scalable automation and cloud product management.
    Leslie Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • The roof began going green in 2010, when the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority and property management company Hines started replacing crumbling portions with sedum in the name of sustainability.
    Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • The watch also features an accelerometer, a barometer, a compass, a gyroscope, and a temperature sensor.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
  • Smith Baker said one of the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation’s guiding principles especially resonates with her: Community is a compass.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Even Major League Baseball hopped on the trend at Citizens Bank Park, where the Philadelphia Phillies' mascot, Phillie Phanatic, recreated the moment with a feminine version of the mascot.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 22 July 2025
  • The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place.
    Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it.
    Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
  • Even properties that typically have strict policies often make exceptions in the face of an impending emergency; still, read the fine print, because a looming storm might not be enough to trigger full refunds unless official travel warnings or evacuation orders are in place.
    Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Intermittent remote supervision and remote assistance continue forever, and do not disqualify a team from crossing the line.
    Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.
    Don Sweeney July 14, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Trying to stop it is like ordering the tides to stop.
    Matt O'Brien, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
  • The job market is constantly shifting for Gen Z, and many of them are tired of trying to navigate the rising tides of change.
    Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • Iran's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, against Trump on June 29.
    Mandy Taheri Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
  • Folt arrived in 2019 in the aftermath of the Varsity Blues scandal — as well as several other scandals — with an edict to clean up the university.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Direction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direction. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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