as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
Thomas Edward Lawrence is better known to most people by his byname, Lawrence of Arabia
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byname
Robert the Wise was a good teacher — and, as his byname suggests, a good role model.
—
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byname
Noun
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One person helped by the nonprofit is Doña Chela, an undocumented 66-year-old woman who asked to be identified by her nickname.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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Now, being age 34 means that Dame Time, the nickname for Lillard, has already spent quite a lot of time on the basketball court.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Huang, who asked to be identified only by her surname for fear of being targeted, had seen her original doctoral offer at Vanderbilt University rescinded after federal cuts to research and programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
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The family has requested that their surname be withheld from publication.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The racist epithets — including a swastika and N***** spray-painted onto the concrete walls surrounding the park — were reported to the Miami Police on Monday afternoon in what the community and police are calling a hate crime.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
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Barnyard epithets did not pepper the prepared speeches of most of Hegseth's predecessors.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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