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 avatars
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 depictions
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
Speed started — like most generational icons do — with a nickname and a dream.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
For Disney and Universal, intellectual property rights to pop icons like Darth Vader and the Simpsons were allegedly infringed.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Three tennis icons with multiple grand slams and one player seeking his first major – that’s who makes up the semifinals at this year’s 2025 US Open.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Her appointment chimes with Anderson’s reputation for working with talents ranging from arthouse film stars to pop culture icons.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
While that was neat, ports on the flanks of the laptop are simply more accessible than those on the back, negating the need for helpful icons in the first place.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Sydney, Australia Anchored by icons like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney unfolds between surf breaks and skyline silhouettes.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But there’s much more to this country than its icons.
—Lottie Gross, AFAR Media, 29 Aug. 2025
In many ways, Black intertwines her romance with the erasure of these musical icons, speaking to the ways in which trauma can dampen, or even silence, a voice.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
For Disney and Universal, intellectual property rights to pop icons like Darth Vader and the Simpsons were allegedly infringed.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Three tennis icons with multiple grand slams and one player seeking his first major – that’s who makes up the semifinals at this year’s 2025 US Open.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Her appointment chimes with Anderson’s reputation for working with talents ranging from arthouse film stars to pop culture icons.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
While that was neat, ports on the flanks of the laptop are simply more accessible than those on the back, negating the need for helpful icons in the first place.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Sydney, Australia Anchored by icons like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney unfolds between surf breaks and skyline silhouettes.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But there’s much more to this country than its icons.
—Lottie Gross, AFAR Media, 29 Aug. 2025
In many ways, Black intertwines her romance with the erasure of these musical icons, speaking to the ways in which trauma can dampen, or even silence, a voice.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for icons
Noun
-
But before Prater became one of the unlikeliest heroes of Bills lore, destined to be referenced for decades in one of the most memorable games in the history of what’s soon to be the old Highmark Stadium, his teammates had a sneaky feeling.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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A couple who luckily spotted a truck leaving a box on the side of the road became heroes for 16 puppies.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Password Generator Using the LogMeOnce password generator, users can set a password length of up to 50 characters and choose to require capital and lowercase letters, digits, or symbols.—
Kim Key,
PC Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The symbols on the mosaic – cyrpress trees, fruit and Egyptian geese – also complement the Greek text, with researchers interpreting them as deliberate choices.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Show 25, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, took a more conservative approach to integrating college IP this year, adding eight schools that players can send their avatars to, including LSU, Texas and UCLA.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
And Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov founded the 2045 Initiative, a life-extension project that envisions uploading human consciousness into computer avatars.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Other designers—Valentino, Versace, Oscar de la Renta, to name a few—also successfully courted celebrities, but few had as much success as Armani.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Fast forward 25 years and now celebrities like Emma Stone, Hailey Bieber, and most recently Diane Kruger are putting a fresh spin on the look.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Uckotter’s eerie depictions of attics, slip dresses, and toys calls to mind the cinematic worlds created by David Lynch.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
If the only way this film distinguishes itself is in its ability to humanize and complicate flat depictions and erasure of Saudi women, that is no small feat.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Familiar names pepper the script, but characters’ circumstances, identities, and motivations have been significantly altered.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Full of big, shouty drill sergeants, lovable characters and deep introspection, the series is earnest and refreshing.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fans of the songs from the Tambourine album may be pleasantly surprised to hear them in their early acoustic incarnations on Time and Patience.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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But the rest of Rudy, the elements that really define him across his two original incarnations, are largely stripped away in the latest version, which prefers to swim in broad strokes.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In the film — her first since portraying opera diva Maria Callas in last year’s Maria — the Oscar winner, 50, stars as Maxine, an American film director hired to make a video for a Paris fashion event amid being diagnosed with breast cancer and navigating a divorce.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Icons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/icons. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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