bynames

noun

plural of byname
as in nicknames
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bynames
  1. nicknames
  2. surnames
  3. epithets
Noun
  • In a Mexican family where several women shared the same name, nicknames were inevitable.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • The moon's nicknames, like April's Pink Moon, May's Flower Moon, or June's Strawberry Moon, originated from Native Americans', Colonial Americans', and other cultures' names for the moon.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 July 2026
Definition of nicknames
Noun
  • Last year, those bases reverted to their original names, but with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
  • Like most Spanish people, Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has two surnames — one inherited from his father, another from his mother.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of surnames
Noun
  • Social media has teemed with unsavory videos of Argentinean misbehavior in the stadiums, including fans hurling racial epithets at a Black American influencer and showering Egyptians with beer.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • Mendelsohn also retains Homer’s repetitious epithets for characters that some modern translations—written for the silent reader of the 21st century—have slimmed down.
    — Chris Moody, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of epithets
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

byname
bynames
by no means
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Cite this Entry

“Bynames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bynames. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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