as in title
either one of the words that are at the top of a page in a dictionary or similar book and that show the first and last words on the page
It is easiest to use the guide words to find the page for the word you are looking up.
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Recent Examples of guide word
The Standing Rock movement’s guiding words, Mni Wiconi (water is life) meant more than clean water advocacy.
—
Natasha Lennard, Esquire, 19 Sep. 2017
Natasha Lennard, Esquire, 19 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guide word
Noun
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Legacy job titles and career paths are swiftly entering extinction, and will be entirely obsolete by 2030.—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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God Will Not Help was among 17 titles announced on Tuesday as having been selected for Locarno’s International Competition alongside pictures such as Ben Rivers’ Mare’s Nest, Radu Jude’s Dracula and Abdellatif Kechiche’s Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
Noun
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From protests in Barcelona to banners in Ibiza, Spanish locals are voicing their frustrations.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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But the valor of the real soldiers who carried the banner of American ideals into the firefight is nonetheless reflected in this story.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guide word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guide%20word. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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