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
Following the deaths last week of two franchise icons, Braves fans gathered Tuesday night at Truist Park to honor the lives of former manager Bobby Cox and former owner Ted Turner at the team’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
—
Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Renowned chef Hillary Sterling has worked in kitchens with some culinary icons.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Bjelland was one of the icons of the riot grrrl scene in the Nineties, and along with Courtney Love and Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe, she was known for sporting hyper-feminine, girly dresses.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
From pioneers, leaders, and titans to artists, innovators, and icons, introducing the 2026 TIME100.
—Time, 12 May 2026
Since then, Elliott has interpreted for French icons such as Claire Denis and Jacques Audiard.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Home screens have become increasingly customizable in recent years — Apple’s switch to remove the need for app icons to sit in rows with no spaces between is an example from iOS.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
That can be from established icons to up-and-comers to the stars of today.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
At the 2026 Met Gala, a range of Black stars attended, from music icons and sports legends to supermodels and cultural icons.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 May 2026
Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
Renowned chef Hillary Sterling has worked in kitchens with some culinary icons.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Bjelland was one of the icons of the riot grrrl scene in the Nineties, and along with Courtney Love and Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe, she was known for sporting hyper-feminine, girly dresses.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
From pioneers, leaders, and titans to artists, innovators, and icons, introducing the 2026 TIME100.
—Time, 12 May 2026
Since then, Elliott has interpreted for French icons such as Claire Denis and Jacques Audiard.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Home screens have become increasingly customizable in recent years — Apple’s switch to remove the need for app icons to sit in rows with no spaces between is an example from iOS.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
That can be from established icons to up-and-comers to the stars of today.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
At the 2026 Met Gala, a range of Black stars attended, from music icons and sports legends to supermodels and cultural icons.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for icons
Noun
-
Over the years, Riley had added to his lineup of heroes.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
But the public shouldn’t have to hope for heroes to rush in and rescue them from a hail of bullets.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Those rules often involve practical limits like no numbers, symbols, extremely long names, or characters that the state system cannot process.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
These letters represent symbols of God as the beginning (alpha) and the end (omega).—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
This entry further defines community radio and then discusses its origins and its manifestations throughout the world.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Glossip has received public support both nationally and internationally, including from celebrities like Kim Kardashian.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The content surrounding the campaign has drawn praise from a handful of celebrities, including reality star/entrepreneur Paris Hilton, actor Taylor Lautner and celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
15 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 research, published in Nature analyzed more than a million daily satellite images from NASA’s Black Marble dataset between 2014 and 2022, tracking changes in artificial light across the inhabited world.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
The photo sets included a range of images, with examples of skyline views, street scenes, landmarks, local architecture, and slices of neighborhood life, and prioritized filter-free images shot in natural daylight to accurately reflect the look of each place.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
11 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 18 May. 2026.
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