1
as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
Mom's favorite byword is "You can get more flies with honey than with vinegar"
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2
as in classic
the most perfect type or example
nationally, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive has become a byword for luxury retailing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byword
The melting of the vast polar ice sheets has become a byword for climate change; these giant frozen landscapes hold enough water to cause catastrophic sea level rise and are experiencing alarming changes as temperatures increase.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
The event became a byword in the militia movement, influencing Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
—Daily Briefing, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Soho House: From cool London origins to global influence
Founded on London’s Greek Street in 1995, Soho House rapidly became a byword for luxury, exclusivity, and a vibrant creative scene.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
Before Wales’ women’s teams were given names on the back of their shirts in 2019, Fishlock’s was the one people could reel off, a byword for Welsh women’s football.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
The event became a byword in the militia movement, influencing Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
—Daily Briefing, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Soho House: From cool London origins to global influence
Founded on London’s Greek Street in 1995, Soho House rapidly became a byword for luxury, exclusivity, and a vibrant creative scene.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
Before Wales’ women’s teams were given names on the back of their shirts in 2019, Fishlock’s was the one people could reel off, a byword for Welsh women’s football.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
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The lyrics, some inspired by proverbs and biblical passages, convey the fervor of his first love with God, without losing his personal touch.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
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His tale has become a proverb for any outdoor fanatic who, despite all of the proper planning and preparation, is undone by forces more powerful than him or herself.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One that could eventually lead readers to engaging with poetry collections and classics with a new perspective.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Highlander remake’s call sheet keeps getting longer and longer as Siobhán Cullen, Jun Jong-seo, Nassim Lyes, and Kevin McKidd have joined the Amazon MGM’s remake of the 1980s cult classic.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With words infallibly falling short, Pritam mingled realism with a fragmentary style of narration that meshes together social encounters, violent episodes, vivid metaphors, disturbing dreams, memories, intimate self-reflections, and introspection on society.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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The tracker includes information such as links to the lawsuit complaint (which list all plaintiffs), when a case was filed, the case name, press releases related to the case, a summary of the case in Nessel's words and the status of each case.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While Allura’s relationship status is one of active warfare, each of her fellow partners’ respective statuses is a different manifestation of their line of work.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Jesus walked earth as God’s doings and words, as a manifestation of it, but Jesus was not God.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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But as the saying goes, the best ability is availability, and Ertz has proven to be one of the most frequently available and productive tight ends in the history of the sport.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Built to last, the 2020 model features a new roof design that boasts up to 90 pounds per square foot of snow load.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The traditional model of assembling large, diverse teams for every innovation challenge is now obsolete.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Nike’s new slogan is the perfect motto for an anxious America.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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My motto will be to seek first to understand before making decisions.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As with many of A24's horror movies, we're left to ponder whether anything supernatural happens as Maud's quest reaches its apotheosis, proving that fanatical belief is enough to inspire great terrors.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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But even with no products, no makeup, an no extra zhuzh, Ross and Union are the apotheosis of melanin magic.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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