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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
France has become a byword for political instability - nine governments in eight years - and French voters are increasingly fed up with their politicians.
—
Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2025
How did hocus pocus transform from the stage name of a magician (and it should be said, an accomplished juggler, according to Ady) to a byword for the entire craft?
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Auschwitz has become a byword for the mass murder and bestiality of the Nazi regime.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for byword
Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2025
How did hocus pocus transform from the stage name of a magician (and it should be said, an accomplished juggler, according to Ady) to a byword for the entire craft?
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Auschwitz has become a byword for the mass murder and bestiality of the Nazi regime.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
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And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
-
For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Simultaneously, her Uncle walks into Ho Jin’s house, waxing eloquent about his grandfather’s collection of classics.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Lady Gaga revisited a childhood classic for a new Super Bowl commercial.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Though Proust is never mentioned, the French author’s own words even appear almost unaltered when McGahern recounts his youthful absorption in books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Eventually there will be a physical manifestation of the Hall, a building somewhere with plaques and memorabilia and exhibits honoring the rich history of sports in Southern California, but that will be at the back end.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Antetokounmpo is the manifestation of the second timeline the Warriors have chased for years.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Redhawks kept things interesting again, surviving 86-84 against Massachusetts, but hey, better to win ugly than lose pretty, as the saying goes.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Work With a Partner Ultimately, the easiest way to paint faster is to have more than one person working on the job—as the saying goes, many hands make light work.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That insight helps teams validate digital models earlier in development.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The other new entries are DSquared2 (which featured a hot celebrity) and Dolce & Gabbana (which generated heated controversy for its model casting).—
Luke Leitch,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Our school motto was Faites vos désirs réalités.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Inter Miami’s club motto is an aspirational call to action that the club’s co-founder, Jorge Mas, often points to as the foundation of the MLS side’s ambition.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Trump is at once a symptom of this disease and its apotheosis, a living representation of all the ways the United States has encouraged, tolerated and rewarded the most selfish and antisocial behaviors imaginable, at least among a certain class of person.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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My winter sojourn reached its apotheosis in the afternoon, when Bergthorsson drove me to Húsafell’s Canyon Baths, a nearby group of geothermal pools, and an extraordinary natural phenomenon.—
Marcia DeSanctis,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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