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
-
Countless cultures have imprinted their own cultural beliefs in the constellations, seeing mighty heroes, fantastic beasts and eclectic objects in the stars.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
-
Superheroes aren't superhuman Gorsuch wants young people to know that heroes aren't superhuman.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The history wonks upstairs tell us that ancient Egyptians considered butterflies to be symbols of eternity, souls and divine transformation.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
-
For more than a century, the swans at Lake Eola have been among the most iconic symbols of the city of Orlando.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 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
-
These mad scientists then trained a small flock of sheep to recognize four celebrities—Emma Watson, Barack Obama, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce—from their pictures on the internet.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
In addition to adult content creators, OnlyFans says those on its platform include including comedians, athletes, fashion designers, music artists and celebrities.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Fallon showed framed pictures of him hanging out with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and posing with racecar studs Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
-
Rittenhouse also posted pictures of himself in a hospital bed as well as a close-up shot of the spider's bite mark.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
7 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
-
Related Stories Original stars of the show were in short supply, with several key cast members having passed on — including Paul Reubens, who died three years ago, and Phil Hartman and Lynne Marie Stewart, who died in 1998 and 2025, respectively.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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Here is a guide to the wellness retreats and hotels owned or co-owned by familiar names — what each property is known for and how the stars got involved.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Icons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/icons. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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