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
Many people who navigated America’s byzantine immigration and citizenship process for years were also angry at the perception that legal status was being bestowed effortlessly on entirely new groups of people.
—
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Finds Connecting Britain to the World Royal burials like that at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, and Prittlewell, Essex, contained objects from far afield, including Byzantine silver bowls and a jug from the eastern Mediterranean.
—Duncan Sayer, JSTOR Daily, 2 Oct. 2025
There are several key sites to explore, like Le Castella, an imposing Medieval fortress on the sea; Santa Severina’s Byzantine architecture and Norman Castle; and Capo Colonna Archaeological Park, known for its Greek and Roman temples and ruins.
—Gary Portuesi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2025
Similar underground storage pits and cisterns are beneath the Church of the Annunciation, among ruins traditionally identified, since the Byzantine period, as Mary’s house.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
The Byzantine era began in the early or late 300s, and ended in 1453 with the invasion of Constantinople by the Ottomans.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
One upshot of the menu’s byzantine sprawl is that every visit offers something new to discover.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
The Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido, a 1908 Moorish fantasy commissioned by entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, boasts Byzantine domes and an eclectic façade that have sheltered everyone from Winston Churchill to Erroll Flynn, from Greta Garbo to Clark Gable.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Congress had enacted byzantine eligibility requirements for disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, forcing the agency to expend huge amounts of time and money running those programs.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Finds Connecting Britain to the World Royal burials like that at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, and Prittlewell, Essex, contained objects from far afield, including Byzantine silver bowls and a jug from the eastern Mediterranean.
—Duncan Sayer, JSTOR Daily, 2 Oct. 2025
There are several key sites to explore, like Le Castella, an imposing Medieval fortress on the sea; Santa Severina’s Byzantine architecture and Norman Castle; and Capo Colonna Archaeological Park, known for its Greek and Roman temples and ruins.
—Gary Portuesi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2025
Similar underground storage pits and cisterns are beneath the Church of the Annunciation, among ruins traditionally identified, since the Byzantine period, as Mary’s house.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
The Byzantine era began in the early or late 300s, and ended in 1453 with the invasion of Constantinople by the Ottomans.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
One upshot of the menu’s byzantine sprawl is that every visit offers something new to discover.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
The Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido, a 1908 Moorish fantasy commissioned by entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, boasts Byzantine domes and an eclectic façade that have sheltered everyone from Winston Churchill to Erroll Flynn, from Greta Garbo to Clark Gable.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Congress had enacted byzantine eligibility requirements for disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, forcing the agency to expend huge amounts of time and money running those programs.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byzantine
Adjective
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Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
In many ways, that has made keeping up with news about King Charles’ illness much more complicated.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The intricate, musical prowess and creative freedom within the Wood Brothers is apparent on their latest album, Puff of Smoke.—
Garret K. Woodward,
Rolling Stone,
26 Oct. 2025
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Chef Kwang Uh opened the restaurant’s first iteration in 2015 in Hollywood, serving intricate grain bowls and pastas at low prices for three years.—
Jocelyn Silver,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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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
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When Singh’s successor decided to make the fort taller, its shadow fell on the hermit’s home, consequently bringing destruction to the complex and surrounding towns.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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The culmination of three painstaking years of development and over 40,000 hours of work, this striking black-and-white automotive tribute is touted as the most complex, most technically ambitious Phantom Private Collection model ever.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But in 2013, with the availability of more sophisticated tools for fossil analysis, Archer wondered if further examination of that bone might uncover clues that had been overlooked previously.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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In one of the multi-hyphenate's most recent posts, Paltrow shared a glimpse of her new clothing line, tagging the brand Gwyn in her caption and wearing a sophisticated, tan cashmere sweater that immediately caught our eye.—
Melony Forcier,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byzantine. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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