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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The German proverb, roughly translated into English, means: Steady dripping caves the stone.—
Gabby Herzig,
The Athletic,
2 Jan. 2025
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But remember, where there’s fire, there’s smoke, which may be a reversal of the standard proverb but is highly relevant here.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The 1965 classic starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo will be shown at Williamsburg’s historic Kimball Theatre.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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This fresh, modern reimagining of Ang Lee’s 1993 classic by Andrew Ahn follows a group of friends who need to get married for convenience—until family arrives, and the plan spirals into extravagant, chaotic mayhem.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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During the Ash Wednesday homily, which had been prepared for the pontiff, the substitute celebrant opened with words of solidarity and gratitude for Francis.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
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Letters are limited to less than 250 words and must be signed (no pseudonyms nor initials).You must include your email address, address with city and daytime phone number for verification.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Newgate Prison, situated in London’s city center, had long been the target of scrutiny as one of the most infamous manifestations of Victorian punitive ideology.—
Sarah C. Schaefer,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
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The gathering in Kragujevac is just one manifestation of the largest popular revolt in Serbia since the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, in which students played a key role.—
Dominique Soguel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This saying certainly comes into play plenty when referees spot the ball either past or before the first down marker.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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That’s because in this new age of on-again, off-again tariffs, there’s no saying when your package will be delivered — if at all.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Pessimist case: Venture capital is a power-law business, and the model doesn't work if top companies like Stripe keep kicking the IPO can down the road.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
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Foundation models are being enhanced with multi-modality and pre-training is still growing.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As their predecessors did, the seven hopefuls will strive to uphold the historic Olympic motto of faster, higher, stronger.—
Blythe Lawrence,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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This raises the question of whether the coin was explicitly commemorating Rogers or simply featuring the national motto.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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So, for that matter, is the recognizable Tim Horton’s Donut Shop sign written out in Farsi — a visual joke that doubles as the apotheosis of Rankin’s cross-cultural exchange program.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
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This can be seen in its apotheosis on buildings such as 770 and 778 Park Avenue, both designed in early 1929.—
David Netto,
Curbed,
17 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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