as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
spent his first year at the Pentagon just trying to fathom its byzantine workings
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Recent Examples of byzantine
Washington—what with its byzantine rules and aggressive gridlock—would not box him in.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
This byzantine corporate structure apparently did not exist until Altman devised it.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The utility has more than 2 million power and water customers and is governed by byzantine rules.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The layout is byzantine in part because Paramount bought the former rival RKO studio lot from Desilu Productions to create the lot known today.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The airline industry is a complex beast, and O’Hare is byzantine itself.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Behind the scenes, Florida Division of Emergency Management officials had spent nearly half of last year navigating a byzantine process in an attempt to secure reimbursement for its immigration operations, according to the emails.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
This byzantine corporate structure apparently did not exist until Altman devised it.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The utility has more than 2 million power and water customers and is governed by byzantine rules.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The layout is byzantine in part because Paramount bought the former rival RKO studio lot from Desilu Productions to create the lot known today.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The airline industry is a complex beast, and O’Hare is byzantine itself.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Behind the scenes, Florida Division of Emergency Management officials had spent nearly half of last year navigating a byzantine process in an attempt to secure reimbursement for its immigration operations, according to the emails.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byzantine
Adjective
-
June 21 – July 22 A thoughtful conversation helps something complicated feel easier today.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Her complicated relationship with her parents and being an only child adds to it, as does becoming a mother for the first time.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
These jagged fins are so intricate — some thinner than a human hair — that standard manufacturing couldn’t touch them.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
-
Her practice focuses on divorces involving intricate financial structures like hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Getting any small business off the ground is no small feat and breweries are complex creatures.—
Blaine Callahan,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
What was looking pretty easy, with Saturday morning rain and then Sunday afternoon to evening rain, has now become a little more complex.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Scientists would like to mount more sophisticated instruments on Mars helicopters to search for things like ice in the Martian soil.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
Built to scale While the front-facing part of the live wave is all about human connection, the backend is powered by sophisticated technology.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byzantine. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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