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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Recent Examples of byword
Republican politicians from Ron DeSantis to President-elect Donald Trump have used San Francisco as a byword for Democratic incompetence on crime and disorder.
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Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
But that agreement, once synonymous with success, is now a byword for disappointment.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 19 Nov. 2024
Still, continuity was the byword during each of these transitions, especially early on.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Venezuela has become both a byword for failure and, curiously, something of an ideological hot potato, a rhetorical device dropped into political conversations around the world.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for byword 
Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
But that agreement, once synonymous with success, is now a byword for disappointment.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 19 Nov. 2024
Still, continuity was the byword during each of these transitions, especially early on.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Venezuela has become both a byword for failure and, curiously, something of an ideological hot potato, a rhetorical device dropped into political conversations around the world.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
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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
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To paraphrase an old proverb, the best time to connect the fights for trans and reproductive rights was decades ago.Colleen Hamilton, Them, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Photo : Edmiston Yachts ‘H3,’ 345 feet, Oceanco The most expensive yacht for sale in 2025 is a new take on an old classic.Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025
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Get the recipe > Spicy Beef Potstickers Enhance ground beef with chili oil for a spicy take on a Lunar New Year classic.Megan Zhang, Saveur, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Arched across the top were the words Justin Carr Wants World Peace.Billy Witz, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
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Bill Burns has spent much of his nearly four-decade career in government arguing about words.Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Bravo Life Host: Natanya Bravo The Bravo Life breaks the act of manifestation step-by-step.Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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However, the art of manifestation is not just about wishful thinking or writing things down on a comprehensive list.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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What’s Great About It Water quickly evaporates from the surface Low maintenance Elevated appearance What Could Be Better Grooves can trip you up As the saying goes, out with the old and in with the new.Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025
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As the saying goes, ‘if Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to broad and wall’.Jesse Pound,Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement The data used to fuel the AI models comes from the league’s Next Gen Stats, which tracks all players and provides analytics data.Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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The Belarusian has won three Slams in the past two years and has been a model of consistency.Dan Santaromita, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The same motto was in used in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday when President Volodymyr Zelensky met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who promised to accelerate Ukraine’s path to EU membership.Clare Sebastian, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
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Go hard or go home was Dalin’s motto during his record-smashing run.George Allen, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The apotheosis of this bemusing sentiment was the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023.Newsweek, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
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Of course, formerly powerful women lashing out at a looming insignificance has at times been a staple of Hollywood cinema; the apotheosis is the delusional diva Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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