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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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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Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson lived up to his nickname.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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While the colors alone are enough to tell the story, the pair will reportedly be tagged with the aforementioned springtime nickname.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
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In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
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Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.—
Theo Karantsalis,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There's one phrase, more a moniker than anything, that Fieri says has come to dominate his public mentions.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
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There’s no consensus on which of the pieces from Jackie O’s collection earned the ‘swimming ring’ moniker.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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