touchstone

"The Moon is a kind of touchstone for us - and an important conceptual stepping stone on our way to Mercury."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

And Perlis’ storytelling skills make it seem like good fun as he pingpongs from artist to artist, each somehow inventing a meaningful, or at least recognizable, cultural touchstone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

She, like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith who came before her, remains an enduring touchstone of black musical culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Once a cultural touchstone, late-night television has seen its prominence erode greatly over the years with viewers and advertising dollars shifting away from broadcast TV to streaming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

It is an anchor, a promise of the future, a touchstone.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Having these cultural and historical touchstones become anthropomorphized not only takes viewers to places they might not get a chance to visit in person but also to make history more approachable.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

Eventually you’ll have the pleasure of reminding new colleagues that their pop-culture touchstones were cribbed from your youth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

And of course, Bad Bunny is hugely popular across the United States, which has among the largest Spanish-speaking populations globally -- so why wouldn't he take part in one of the country's cultural touchstones?

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

Four decades after it flopped in theaters, “Labyrinth” and Bowie’s work in it are now beloved cultural touchstones.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026

Family mottoes, touchstones, prayers of sorts, they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith and courage.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin