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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On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
For centuries, the proverb has reminded us that seeing is believing.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, the audience’s criticism that the new story overly mimicked Bryan Bertino’s 2008 classic was something Harlin and his team took to heart.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Sep. 2025
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Buffalo Trace rye whiskey sweetened with root beer syrup gains depth and a touch of medicinal spice from star anise, making for a playful soda fountain take on the classic.—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Broder was famous for always choosing his words carefully and for a stentorian delivery that commanded attention.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
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Perloo is a nod to the Gullah Geechee people, whose tongue carried more African than English words, and to their ancestors before them, who brought the blueprint for this meal from Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone during the transatlantic slave trade.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That is all well and good, but for us, its physical manifestation is wet, salty, and immediately threatening.—
Feleti Penitala Teo,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
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Löfgren is a rare manifestation of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory condition.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But, as the saying goes, that's what makes a market.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
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The mistake is writing off these sayings as coach speak.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And what better way to do that than to get dolled up and be surrounded by models?—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Intel is behind in both cutting-edge AI chips and more prosaic models used in mobile phones, which cost it Apple’s Mac business back in 2020.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That was the motto for many years as the Islanders defied expectations often, reaching the conference finals in back-to-back seasons five years ago.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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The two Republicans vying to challenge Healey in next year’s election in recent weeks have cemented their support for the existing flag and motto.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Their way to rock-and-roll sublimity, to headbanging apotheosis, is comprehensively barred.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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The apotheosis of Soderbergh’s fascination with close-ups is his 1999 crime thriller The Limey, about Wilson, an English ex-convict who comes to Los Angeles to find out what happened to his missing daughter and, upon finding out that she was murdered, embarks on a revenge mission.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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