code name

noun

: a designation having a coded and usually secret meaning
code-name transitive verb

Examples of code name in a Sentence

Every secret agent has a code name.
Recent Examples on the Web Model Darya Makarova and her boyfriend military officer, code name Grizzly. Venya Brykalin, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 Geopolitically, things seem to have deteriorated, which created an interesting milieu for my spy — code name Kane — to inhabit. Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Reports over the years suggest that the company started working on the EV—which is rumored to have used the code names Titan and T172—in earnest back in 2014. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2024 This new mission also has a snappy code name—Silent Barker—and an eye-catching mission patch, which isn't unusual for launches with NRO spy satellites. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 28 Aug. 2023 The sovereign has hesitations and her mind is in other places, as her advisors guide her to plan for Operation London Bridge — the code name for her funeral arrangements. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Fox, the code name of a taciturn soldier who turned up for treatment along with Flint, prefers to walk alongside the chestnut mare, Gesha, rather than ride her. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2023 One of her first assignments was to help retouch and digitize thousands of images of 9/11 victims, known internally by the bloodless code name PENTTBOM. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Together, the trio came up with code names for the different versions of Priscilla that pop up in the film, from the 14-year-old girl who audiences meet at the beginning to the 27-year-old mother at Priscilla’s end. Kerensa Cadenas, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'code name.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of code name was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near code name

Cite this Entry

“Code name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/code%20name. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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