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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Clicking into the title will give you even more information, including a blurb about what parents need to know, a breakdown of potential concerns and positive qualities about the book, and reviews from kids.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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The title refers to the Quechua language that dates to the ancient Inca empire and is still spoken by millions of people in the Andes region of Peru.—
Adam Bell
April 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The school has banners and big names to prove its hockey pedigree, though the real evidence lies with a man called Rooster.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Goldberg will serve as executive producer alongside longtime collaborator Tom Leonardis under their One Ho Productions banner.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guide word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guide%20word. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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