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Synonyms

nerve center

American  

noun

  1. a group of nerve cells closely connected with one another and acting together in the performance of some function.

  2. a source of information, authority, action, etc..

    The communications room is the nerve center of a battleship.


Etymology

Origin of nerve center

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Located in Albany near the Canadian border, the New York State Capitol is the nerve center of the state government and contains both houses of the state's legislature.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Cyber Command – the military nerve center for cybersecurity – partnered to launch what was initially called the Russia Small Group, a task force to guard U.S. election infrastructure against Russian interference.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

Instead, the U.A.E.—the financial nerve center of the Gulf and a potent military power—is strengthening security cooperation with Israel as both states work to change the region’s strategic balance through force of arms if necessary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

The council’s tech and national security directorate, which had been the nerve center for coordinating administration actions on tech and China, was dismantled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

There, on the front wall of the room that served as NASA’s nerve center, was a huge lighted map of the world.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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