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
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—
Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
The Cappella Palatina inside the Palazzo dei Normanni is a resplendent example of local architecture that glitters with intricate gold Byzantine mosaics.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
Whereas 30-year-olds are already supposedly lost to the byzantine ways of workplace bureaucracies, those a decade their junior are blank slates.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Though famously byzantine, these processes were created to ensure local control over development decisions.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
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
One upshot of the menu’s byzantine sprawl is that every visit offers something new to discover.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 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
Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
The Cappella Palatina inside the Palazzo dei Normanni is a resplendent example of local architecture that glitters with intricate gold Byzantine mosaics.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
Whereas 30-year-olds are already supposedly lost to the byzantine ways of workplace bureaucracies, those a decade their junior are blank slates.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Though famously byzantine, these processes were created to ensure local control over development decisions.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
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
One upshot of the menu’s byzantine sprawl is that every visit offers something new to discover.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 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
-
But, the good news is that cleaning shower grout isn't complicated.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
-
So there are a lot of complicated emotions and a mixture of emotions happening, as well as gestures.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The receiver and its forensic accountant scrutinized the activities of just seven entities that Acharya and his company controlled, a review that revealed an intricate web of dealings by the real estate executive.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The intricate gown required 323 hours to make and features roughly 200 embroidered elements.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 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
-
British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Most of its joints can rotate fully, giving it flexibility for tight or complex spaces.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the shoulder pads add structure to the piece, creating a sophisticated look and a balanced shape from top to bottom.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This merengue caraqueño, defined by its sophisticated 5/8 rhythm, serves as a master class in Venezuelan identity, acting as a cultural anchor that prevents the nation’s heritage from being swallowed by the ongoing crisis.—
Leonor C. Suárez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byzantine. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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