variants
also ikons
1
as in heroes
a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion
Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and other icons of pop culture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in symbols
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader
the player's remote control is very user-friendly as it doesn't use any icons that you haven't seen a million times before
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in manifestations
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)
cites Marlene Dietrich as an icon of old-time Hollywood glamour
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in celebrities
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
a sports bar filled with photos of icons from football, basketball, and baseball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in pictures
a two dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing
any icon of the Deity is regarded as blasphemous by adherents of that religion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of icons
The defense still has a pair of franchise icons in defensive lineman Cam Heyward and outside linebacker TJ Watt.
—
CBS News, 20 May 2026
Beyoncé made her Met Gala return in a showstopping silver ensemble with husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy at her side, while Rihanna shut down the carpet with a fashionably late entrance, and music icons Madonna, Stevie Nicks and Cher shocked everyone with their presence on the carpet.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
In the second half of the 20th century, everyone who was anyone in American culture – from Hollywood icons to presidents and revolutionaries – had their portrait taken by Avedon.
—Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
This year, Joan Collins, Jane Fonda and Demi Moore have emerged among the festival’s standout style icons so far, proving Cannes remains the ultimate stage for timeless glamour.
—Alex Badia, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Another change Microsoft is testing makes the taskbar and all its icons smaller, a change designed to increase the amount of vertical space available on smaller screens without requiring users to fully hide the taskbar.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
Facing the music Facebook and Instagram icons are seen displayed on an iPhone.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Rossellini has flown in for this interview, joining Collins to discuss My Duchess, the first collaboration between the two screen icons.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
The competition has given us such icons as Céline Dion, ABBA, and Dutch musician Joost Klein.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 May 2026
CBS News, 20 May 2026
Beyoncé made her Met Gala return in a showstopping silver ensemble with husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy at her side, while Rihanna shut down the carpet with a fashionably late entrance, and music icons Madonna, Stevie Nicks and Cher shocked everyone with their presence on the carpet.
—Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 20 May 2026
In the second half of the 20th century, everyone who was anyone in American culture – from Hollywood icons to presidents and revolutionaries – had their portrait taken by Avedon.
—Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
This year, Joan Collins, Jane Fonda and Demi Moore have emerged among the festival’s standout style icons so far, proving Cannes remains the ultimate stage for timeless glamour.
—Alex Badia, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Another change Microsoft is testing makes the taskbar and all its icons smaller, a change designed to increase the amount of vertical space available on smaller screens without requiring users to fully hide the taskbar.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
Facing the music Facebook and Instagram icons are seen displayed on an iPhone.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Rossellini has flown in for this interview, joining Collins to discuss My Duchess, the first collaboration between the two screen icons.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
The competition has given us such icons as Céline Dion, ABBA, and Dutch musician Joost Klein.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for icons
Noun
-
They were heralded as heroes for their bravery in confronting the shooters.—
Michael Smith,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
-
DeMartinis, who got on base in the ninth after getting hit by a pitch, was one of many heroes on the day for the Falcons.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Kara Jakubik, a 17-year-old Life Scout with Scouting America and an Ambassador with Girl Scouts, spent the morning with other volunteers walking through rows of headstones searching for symbols, such as military branch emblems.—
Abigail Dollins,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2026
-
But for others, the typo resurgence could be clearing the way for the resuscitation of other, old-school symbols of sloppy writing.—
Michael Waters,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Murphy won't say, for fear of sharing her manifestations.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Examples include his pioneering insights on the dispersal of seeds, his anticipation of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and his study of the seasonal manifestations of natural phenomena, such as plants’ flowering times and bird migrations.—
Robert M. Thorson,
The Conversation,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Athletes and celebrities get in on wrestling all the time, and now WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella is calling for WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
Over the decades, the Burberry check has been embraced by fashion insiders, supermodels, and celebrities, absorbing the attitude of each era along the way.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
On this night, as Rashad posed for pictures in Bushwick, SZA was a few miles away in Manhattan, walking the red carpet at the Met Gala.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Once in the asteroid's orbit, NASA's spacecraft is slated to take pictures of the asteroid's surface and shed light on its composition, over the course of about two years.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
And what once was a simple majority-rules vote each week has been complicated by the addition of individual immunity idols and advantages that can shift the balance of power from the collective toward maverick individuals.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
The optics of the ceremony soon sparked backlash from the faithful and religious leaders, many of whom drew a parallel to biblical scripture Exodus 32, which warns believers about the dangers of creating false idols and worshiping other gods.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The policy meant the top biological female finishers were designated co-champions, leading to widespread images of Hernandez sharing the top step of the medal podium with female athletes.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
Cinematographer Noé Bach took visual cues from Nan Goldin’s photography of the 1980s and ’90s, aiming for images that feel found rather than arranged.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Today’s Hollywood stars — Taylor Russell, Greta Lee, Anya Taylor-Joy, Alison Oliver, Jisoo, Maude Apatow, Jeff Goldblum, Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few — were in attendance.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
The Ducks have high-ceiling youngsters blossoming into stars who should be the nucleus of future playoff teams.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Icons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/icons. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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