1
as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
Mom's favorite byword is "You can get more flies with honey than with vinegar"
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2
as in classic
the most perfect type or example
nationally, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive has become a byword for luxury retailing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byword
At home the story of Norway’s infamous Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling, whose name has become a byword for traitor, stirred intense public debate and ended up as the third biggest Norwegian film of 2024.
—
Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
As part of the Panasonic empire, Technics was once a byword for hi-fi in the 1980s.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
At times this season, Newcastle have been a byword for inconsistency, but Tottenham take that distinction to a whole other level.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Leverkusen, the club that used to be a byword for failure, enjoy winning too much to stop now.
—Rafa Honigstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 14 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for byword
Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
As part of the Panasonic empire, Technics was once a byword for hi-fi in the 1980s.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
At times this season, Newcastle have been a byword for inconsistency, but Tottenham take that distinction to a whole other level.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Leverkusen, the club that used to be a byword for failure, enjoy winning too much to stop now.
—Rafa Honigstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 14 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
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But Bluey’s comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it’s meant to be.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
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Whitaker nicknamed the place Sparrow Hall, a reference to a medieval saint’s proverb about a sparrow who flies over a royal banquet, feeling only a brief moment of warmth.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But so many of the genre’s classics also involve intimate moments indoors that almost feel like stage plays.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
EW.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The Menu At The Cocktail Lounge Within that setting, chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley, formerly the Corporate Executive Chef for STARR Restaurants, is turning out stellar, elevated versions of American classics.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
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In a word, Sri Lanka has defied the odds and emerged significantly stronger from the dark days of the 2022 revolution.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And for those watching from on high—senators, judges, CEOs—mass protests are physical manifestations of public opinion.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Woman must be a manifestation of Ramona’s grief: a thing that arrived uninvited into this family’s life, cast a shadow over their home, and refused to leave.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There is a saying among lawyers and crisis communications professionals: A coverup is often worse than the crime or crisis itself.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
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Diet As the saying goes, everything starts with your diet—and that includes bone health.—
Melanie Curry,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Cat trees price Cat trees vary in price from about $20 to $300 or more for larger, more complex models.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
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Romeo is currently dating model Kim Turnbull, who Brooklyn reportedly dated in 2016.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But as the man who lived the city’s motto, ‘Out of Darkness Cometh Light’, his god-like aura shines as brightly as ever.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Chard told Fox News Digital that there’s one other rule that hasn’t changed as Kate focuses on her health and future – the old motto of keep calm and carry on.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
Fox News,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The real prize at this feast, however, will be those molecules that most efficiently store energy, your fatty acids, so that the caloric orgy reaches its apotheosis in that fattiest of all your organs, that thing which seemed most you: your brain.—
Cutter Wood,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
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To experience the apotheosis of Germany’s Spargel-love, a trip to the famed Spargelfests in regions such as Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Lower Saxony is in order.—
Yolanda Evans,
AFAR Media,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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