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In the early 20th century, the noun hyphenate referred to a resident or citizen of the U.S. whose recent foreign national origin caused others to question his or her patriotic loyalties - with or without there being just cause for that questioning. These hyphenates - the Irish-Americans, German-Americans, and others - were objects of suspicion. The hyphenates we're highlighting today are more often objects of admiration. Since around 1974, we've been referring to people with hyphens in their titles - producer-directors, for example, as hyphenates.
Examples of hyphenate in a Sentence
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Hax chat: Husband says hyphenating baby’s last name is confusing
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Opinion|The world has changed, and Trump needs a mulligan
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The life of two Boeing Starliner astronauts stuck indefinitely in space
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Olympic Ceremonies on the Seine were a daring feat.
—Jerry Brewer, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
Hugh Hart, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
During his long introduction to the film’s premiere at SXSW last night, the hyphenate talked about his childhood love of Bruce Lee and name-checked both Indonesian and Korean action cinema in addition to a certain Keanu Reeves franchise.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hyphenate 
Dictionary Entries Near hyphenate
Cite this Entry
“Hyphenate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyphenate. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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