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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in classic
the most perfect type or example
nationally, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive has become a byword for luxury retailing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
That ancient proverb captures the mindset of American investors eyeing the Middle East as a global growth engine.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
A certain proverb about glass houses comes to mind.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
People are now on alert and hopefully ordering out for pizza, cracking open a sixer, and getting ready to chomp into this new dumbass classic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Osman’s book has become a classic among British crime thrillers.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Seeing Parker’s way of doing business, spelled out in his own words, bolsters everything Guralnick has already told us about him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Hair, Paper, Water… emboldens one’s love of this earth and the words used to share it.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In many ways, Vance’s rise has been a compelling manifestation of that retreat.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Prior to the tumor's manifestation, her only symptom had been a sore arm, which the doctors chalked up to arthritis.—
Simar Bajaj,
NPR,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There’s another way of measuring the sandwich's size, borrowing from a ubiquitous saying about eating.—
Amanda Hancock,
The Courier-Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
-
As the saying goes, nobody wants to sit at the reject table.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
It has since been used as a model to help scientists study the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can similarly cause genital warts and lead to certain types of cancer.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Choose between a model with a permanent filter made of metal or one that uses paper filters.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Living longer and better through a comprehensive and integrative approach to health is the motto at Sha Mexico, a wellness clinic located in the Riviera Maya, on Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula.—
Korin Miller,
Flow Space,
24 July 2025
-
Right under the flag is a motto, inspired by the head coach, Nick Sirianni.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
The accident occurs seconds after the apotheosis of their relationship.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
28 July 2025
-
At the apotheosis of technical wizardry, Vacheron Constantin debuted the most complicated wristwatch in the world, the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication-La Première.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share