as in representative
something (such as a place or an event) that is seen as a small version of something much larger
The village is a microcosm of the whole country. The game was a microcosm of the entire season.
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Recent Examples of microcosm
The race for California’s 72nd Assembly District, which includes Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo and other nearby cities, offers a microcosm of American politics.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
That’s kind of what the movie’s about, but in a microcosm.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
Their stories represented a microcosm of the Miami experience.
—David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
That situation was a microcosm of the team’s struggles right now.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microcosm
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
That’s kind of what the movie’s about, but in a microcosm.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
Their stories represented a microcosm of the Miami experience.
—David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
That situation was a microcosm of the team’s struggles right now.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microcosm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for microcosm
Noun
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At the same commission meeting, officials urged the Fontainebleau to meet with the neighborhood association and voted to have Meiner, the mayor, act as the city’s representative in the discussions.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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Following a political career spanning five decades, Webster is not seeking re-election as the representative for Florida’s 11th district, which takes in a wide swath of west Central Florida.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Murakami is working on a two-year, $34 million deal, and in an era when some teams try to lock up young talent with long and lucrative contract extensions, a 25-game sample size is a little too small for Getz to start throwing out more years and dollars.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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McFarlane’s first interim spell obviously represents far too small a sample to draw any definitive conclusions about his tactical style.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For example, a single high-quality crown or veneer at a private London clinic can cost £600 to £1,200 or more, whereas similar work in Turkey is often much lower.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Now, a group of doctors is using the example of Hurricane Helene to urge federal lawmakers to help improve access to substance use medications in severe weather emergencies.—
Andrew Jones,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Microcosm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/microcosm. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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