as in titles
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guide words
Noun
-
Burnard and O’Shaughnessy point out that, whereas Britain regularly sent nobles to govern the Caribbean colonies—and dukes and earls to Ireland—the men appointed to administer the thirteen colonies more often lacked titles and were paid less.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026 -
The Las Vegas Aces play in the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena, yet CNBC pegs the value of the team, which won WNBA titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025 , at $500 million, fourth on our list.—
Michael Ozanian,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
And supporters are left to fill the silence with speculation, chants and, now, airborne protest banners.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Others have opted to place banners in the stands or sponsor emblems on seatbacks.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
8 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Guide words.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guide%20words. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
