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
Before 2022, Ukraine was a byword for corruption: a resource-rich klepto-state in the no-man’s land between the EU and Russia.
—
Dominic Green, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
To some initial consternation, a Texan actor named Renée Zellweger is cast as the UK’s essential heroine, a character who, by then, is already globally understood to be a byword for contemporary, cosmopolitan womanhood.
—Hugh Grant, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
West Ham, Prague aside, have become a byword for underachievement.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
Over the past five years, El Salvador has gone from a byword for dysfunction in American politics to a potential model for some, particularly for those on the Right.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Dominic Green, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025
To some initial consternation, a Texan actor named Renée Zellweger is cast as the UK’s essential heroine, a character who, by then, is already globally understood to be a byword for contemporary, cosmopolitan womanhood.
—Hugh Grant, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
West Ham, Prague aside, have become a byword for underachievement.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
Over the past five years, El Salvador has gone from a byword for dysfunction in American politics to a potential model for some, particularly for those on the Right.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
-
The Giants have one of the least-talented and most expensive offensive lines in the entire NFL There's an old NFL proverb that suggests games are won and lost in the trenches.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
Nobody plots against anyone, but nobody invokes ancient proverbs, either.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Hadid’s twist on the classic includes a crashing wave design across the footbed, paired with a minimalist beige strap.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
21 June 2025
-
The set, which was once a cult classic, but now should be regarded simply as a hugely successful release, also breaks into the top 10 on the Billboard 200.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
That word first exploded onto the scene in World War II Britain as Royal Air Force slang for a bomb of enough penetrating power to shatterwhole blocks of homes and pavements.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 June 2025
-
Those were words disgraced Pittsburgh financial advisor Marty Blazer lived by.—
Guy Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
Noun
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However, whether the brain changes are a cause of the mental health issues, an effect of them, or are independent manifestation of overwork is unclear.—
Paul Hsieh,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Maybe this was a manifestation of the same streaming bloat that has also, recently, produced maddeningly incomplete seasons of hit shows like The Last of Us and Squid Game.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Sunlight, as the saying goes, is the best disinfectant.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
-
The better version of this saying is to iterate fast.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
In the cerebral artery flow model in the lab, Heit says, the milli-spinner was 100% effective at removing clots in more than 500 attempts.—
Ani Freedman,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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Towards the end of the video, the former Victoria’s Secret model reflected on how surreal her new flagship store felt.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
That is essentially the motto for St. Laurence’s entire lineup.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
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In other words, Essence Festival 2025 is around the corner, prompting the motto of wearing less and going out more.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
That night was the apotheosis of the superteam era.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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Trump and conservatives, overall, are obsessed with tarring California — to them, the apotheosis of liberalism — as a violent, lawless, anti-American hellscape.—
Max Taves,
Mercury News,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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