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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byword
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
Moreover, in the case of Kafka, a highly idiosyncratic writer, whose very name has become a byword for modern alienation and bureaucratic absurdity, the influence of his elegant and long-canonical early translators Willa and Edwin Muir still looms large.
—Mark Harman
august 8, Literary Hub, 8 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
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
Moreover, in the case of Kafka, a highly idiosyncratic writer, whose very name has become a byword for modern alienation and bureaucratic absurdity, the influence of his elegant and long-canonical early translators Willa and Edwin Muir still looms large.
—Mark Harman
august 8, Literary Hub, 8 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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Instead, Jeffrey Gahler has turned budget hearings into a sideshow by attacking McCord for scribbling a French version of a familiar proverb during an April meeting.—
Aegis reader commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Aug. 2025
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In West African traditions, the drum serves as both a musical instrument and a talking messenger, transmitting proverbs, praises, and official announcements in a language that reinforces the chief’s authority and the community’s history.—
Felicia Appenteng,
semafor.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Oscilloscope’s roots in New York’s music and film scenes run deep and that quirky green logo has been the opening act for so many of our favorite indie classics of the past decade and a half or so.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
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Over the decades, the Sundance Film festival morphed from a classics and good-for-you granola film showcase to a vital hub in indie distribution, serving as a gatekeeper and exhibition platform for filmmakers and a farm system for emerging talent heading for Hollywood.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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How To Play Wordle Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The two men shared warm words, often walking side by side as military bands and mounted troops staged elaborate ceremonies on the castle grounds.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And, of course, Sundance is a manifestation of that.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Sabrina Carpenter is manifestation’s best friend.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Hats, t-shirts, jerseys, wristbands, belts, and much more featuring John Cena's logos and sayings are now available to fans.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Built to last, the 2020 model features a new roof design that boasts up to 90 pounds per square foot of snow load.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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The iPhone 17 lineup is headlined by the addition of the iPhone 17 Air, which takes the place of the iPhone Plus model that served as the company's second tier phone.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The commission will be hosting hearings this fall to gather public opinion on the flag, seal and motto finalists before making a final recommendation.—
Isabelle Friedman,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
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But, that’s sort of the motto behind the Episcopal Church.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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