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
The melting of the vast polar ice sheets has become a byword for climate change; these giant frozen landscapes hold enough water to cause catastrophic sea level rise and are experiencing alarming changes as temperatures increase.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
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
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
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
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
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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On the other hand, perhaps this is one of those rare and unforeseen opportunities that give rise to the proverb of no guts, no glory.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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For centuries, the proverb has reminded us that seeing is believing.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The participants range from Hayward classics to newcomers and hidden gems.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
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Doris Lessing’s On Cats, for example, is a classic of the cat book genre, marketed as tender and sweet.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Before that, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon — the other three of the four Mousquetaires of French men’s tennis — have sent Monfils off into his last season with some kind words.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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One-word answers litter the path toward your desperate, fumbling attempt to get away.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Camping, in all its modern manifestations, has become an increasingly popular and affordable go-to strategy for families eager to get outside and enjoy meaningful time together.—
Lynn O'Rourke Hayes,
Boston Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
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The science around this condition continues to evolve, and the physical and mental manifestations of CTE remain under study.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Everybody uses that as a saying.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
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But, as the saying goes, that's what makes a market.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And what better way to do that than to get dolled up and be surrounded by models?—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Intel is behind in both cutting-edge AI chips and more prosaic models used in mobile phones, which cost it Apple’s Mac business back in 2020.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to the runway show's website, this year's event centered on reimagining a classic French motto.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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Ohio State won a national championship eight months ago, but there’s a motto going around the players that last year doesn’t matter because this team hasn’t accomplished anything yet.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
28 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 2 Oct. 2025.
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