symbol 1 of 2

1
as in emblem
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark the traditional physician's symbol of a staff entwined with a snake

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2
as in sign
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the symbol ¶ indicates where a new paragraph should begin symbols such as emoji that are used in texts

Synonyms & Similar Words

symbol

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of symbol
Noun
The laser eyes symbol that Saylor incorporated into his profile picture started in online Bitcoin communities but has spread to the mainstream. Fortune, 13 June 2022 Press and hold the app icon, tap App Info (the i symbol), and tap Permissions. Julian Chokkattu, Wired, 8 Sep. 2020
Verb
Younger workers favored symbols such as the laughing face or red heart, while baby boomers, ages 60 to 78, were more likely to use the thumbs-up emoji. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 Now Syria has become a symbol of overstretch. Jeremy Shapiro, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for symbol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbol
Noun
  • In later centuries, Barbary lions were gifted between royal courts, kept in menageries, and even depicted on national emblems — as in the coat of arms of Morocco and the United Kingdom.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The square was built on the location of the 1789 uprising and where the Bastille prison, an emblem of tyranny, once stood and was dismantled.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Flowers — purple mums, white and yellow lilies, and pink roses — had been laid near the university sign.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Biden and, by extension, Harris will be remembered even and perhaps especially by Democrats as symbolizing disappointment and defeat.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Its alignment with figures like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un symbolizes the isolation and reputational decay of a regime that relies on coercion rather than consent.
    Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This includes restoring original features like the Pan Am logos and the iconic winding staircase.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The gold detailing shows through both the rackets and the bags and the Laver Cup logo and a logo of the Laver Cup trophy also show up on the products.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter and sued the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on the letter, for defamation.
    Nik Popli, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Legal experts, however, broadly agree this would violate both the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Qassam’s popularity represented a shift in Mandate Arab politics, signaling discontent with the status quo.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Keegan Bradley is currently shouldering the immense pressure of representing American golf, a burden that will only intensify as the Ryder Cup draws near.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Harry brought his trademark humor and warmth to the awards, a ceremony honoring seriously ill children who have shown incredible courage, joking and making smiles all around.
    Erin Hill, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even rich gentrifiers embody both use and exchange values.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Increasingly dismayed, Dudek hatched a plan that seemed to embody his mix of good intentions, hubris and melodrama.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Symbol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbol. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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