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
California is infamous for its unfriendly business climate, with byzantine regulations and an agonizingly slow permitting system.
—
Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
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
-
Jurisdictional squabbles with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represented over-the-air performers on broadcast media, complicated matters.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Outside of the campus, the case has underscored how deeply divided views over the war in Gaza have complicated court proceedings, with attorneys clashing over whether political opinions should influence jury selection, defense arguments or witness testimony.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Last October, his transportation department froze $16 billion that the Biden Administration had allocated to Gateway, the intricate complex of tracks, bridges, and a new Hudson River tunnel intended to improve rail service between New Jersey and Manhattan.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
27 Feb. 2026
-
This creates an intricate network of microscopic cracks that, in addition to visible furrows, help retain the water elephants douse themselves in to stay cool.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 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
-
The new accounts have other complications, including that even the smallest contributions could require a highly complex federal gift tax form.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
They are filled with fluid, continually rebuild themselves, and actively respond to a complex mix of chemical signals and mechanical forces.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As a nuclear power, Pakistan commands a sophisticated defense apparatus comprising an army, navy, air force, and marine corps.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The Rare Bird rooftop deck, Trade Room, open lobby bar, and Hidden Bar are all Gatsby-style gathering places for guests and locals to listen to live music and sip on sophisticated tipples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byzantine. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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