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"
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byword
By the 1990s, Techwood had resegregated, becoming almost exclusively Black, and turned into a byword in Atlanta for urban decline.
—
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
The four teen-agers—Cabey, Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur—came from the South Bronx at a time when the borough was still a national byword for immiseration and hopelessness.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
How did hocus pocus transform from the stage name of a magician (and it should be said, an accomplished juggler, according to Ady) to a byword for the entire craft?
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Auschwitz has become a byword for the mass murder and bestiality of the Nazi regime.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
The four teen-agers—Cabey, Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur—came from the South Bronx at a time when the borough was still a national byword for immiseration and hopelessness.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
How did hocus pocus transform from the stage name of a magician (and it should be said, an accomplished juggler, according to Ady) to a byword for the entire craft?
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Auschwitz has become a byword for the mass murder and bestiality of the Nazi regime.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
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What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The rooms The old Japanese proverb ‘*kachou fuugetsu’—*which translates as ‘flower, bird, wind, moon’ evoking a sense of the transient beauty of nature—is a key concept at the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Summer is the season to embrace colorful stones in addition to the classics.—
Aemilia Madden,
Vogue,
18 June 2026
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During IndieWire’s Craft Roundtables panel, series production designer Susie Mancini spoke about fixing up the 1989 classic to retrofit it to a contemporary story.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Over the next year, expect to see a few more invasive BCI companies launch similar clinical trials with the goal of translating mental activity into spoken words.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
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The war-weariness in Sadeq’s words reflects the exhaustion felt throughout Lebanon, but especially among the Shiites who form a third of its 6 million residents.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
And Zach, talk about manifestation.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
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Dorough, who performs with Richardson, Nick Carter, AJ McLean and Brian Littrell hopes that the manifestation comes true.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Their advice and memorable sayings reveal lessons of perseverance, faith and integrity — values that continue to influence generations that follow.—
Yolanda Harris,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
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As the saying goes, all press is good press, and in the time between when the announcement was made and now, many of Lambrini Girls’ original concert venues were rebooked into larger spaces.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Through a series of measures starting in 2022, Washington has cut off China’s access to the cutting-edge GPUs, throttling Chinese companies’ efforts in competing for the top AI models with US tech giants.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
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Meta announced its new set of smart glasses priced at $299, undercutting some of its earlier models as the company pushes to bring wearables to a broader audience.—
Justina Lee,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Noun
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A little less 2020s, a little more early aughts—that's the motto of this year's summer season.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
16 June 2026
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Our original motto made no claim about what Americans believed about God.—
David Williamson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Noun
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This latter-day diner is true to the genre, down to its Formica, chrome and gum-cracking soul, with breakfast understood as the apotheosis of the day and the almost supernaturally fluffy pancakes, anointed in syrup and salted honey-maple butter, available until closing time.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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After portraying Alabaster, down to his pearly-white surname, as the apotheosis of white male villainy, Cash deflates him by arguing, essentially, #NotAllMen.—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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