as in main
coming before all others in importance
the cardinal rule of medicine: do no harm
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Recent Examples of cardinal
This is a short squeeze as hedge funds forgot the cardinal rule: never short something the first 30 days of an IPO.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 May 2025
Look, but don’t touch is the cardinal rule at most museums.
—Nevin Martell, USA Today, 27 May 2025
But no betting on baseball was the cardinal rule, and Rose knew it.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Shred cheese: As always, follow one of the cardinal rules of casserole making in the South: Shred your own cheese.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 May 2025
Look, but don’t touch is the cardinal rule at most museums.
—Nevin Martell, USA Today, 27 May 2025
But no betting on baseball was the cardinal rule, and Rose knew it.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Shred cheese: As always, follow one of the cardinal rules of casserole making in the South: Shred your own cheese.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal
Adjective
-
These tickets have to be redeemed at the Florida Lottery main office in Tallahassee or one of the district offices.—
David J. Neal
July 6,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
-
The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria state police, federal police and Australia's main domestic spy agency, said the fire was likely a politically motivated attack.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
About one-third of American workers now earn income from a source other than a traditional nine-to-five job, whether this is their primary occupation or a side hustle.—
Liya Palagashvili,
National Review,
11 July 2025
-
Fortunately, the various streaming platforms that ride sidecar with the primary ratings engine of TV are recapturing a healthy percentage of the younger crowd who represent the future of sports consumption.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
But this is not the predominant architectural style found in all of Cincinnati's neighborhoods, explained Cincinnati Preservation Association executive director Beth Johnson, a working group member.—
Sydney Franklin,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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There's near universal agreement that pay is a predominant factor in attracting and retaining teachers ― either to other schools or to other professions.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Luke Combs, one of the country stars whose appeal has turned out to translate the most in parts of the world where the genre is not as dominant, will be getting the ACM International Award for his furthering of country music overseas.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 July 2025
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Crisler, amid a dominant 10-0 season that finished No. 2 behind Notre Dame in the Associated Press poll, retired at the end of it to focus solely on being Michigan’s AD.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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First launched in 1985, FIBO has become one of the earth’s foremost fitness and wellness-focused trade shows, with roughly 130,000 participants set to convene in Cologne, Germany in April 2026.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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Paul, a foremost Republican critic against Trump’s tariff policy, said the latest tariff, which Trump said would go into effect Aug. 1, could lead to a slippery slope that harms the U.S.’s economic standing and Wall Street.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Consider the impact: Over 850,000 farms and ranches currently claim this deduction, with usage jumping to 70% among operations where the principal operator is primarily engaged in farming or ranching.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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That will increase interest and principal payments on the debt from about $10 trillion ($1 trillion in interest, $9 trillion in principal) to about $18 trillion (of which $2 trillion is interest payments).—
Ray Dalio,
Time,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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This is the first time the river has been opened to swimmers since 1923, Reuters reported.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
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Estévez, 32, has shined in his first season with the Royals.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Through their new Up Payment program, Progressive is helping more first-time and first-gen buyers take that first big step. Take out your phones and scan the QR code on the screen — or visit progressive.com/openthehouse — to start your journey today.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 July 2025
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Today, this kind of wildlife encounter would be a big no-no for safety reasons.—
Christine Peterson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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