byword

noun

ˈbī-ˌwərd How to pronounce byword (audio)
Definition of bywordnext
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"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in classic
the most perfect type or example nationally, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive has become a byword for luxury retailing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 byword For most of the past decade the giants of cloud computing were a byword for not needing anyone's money. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 With her gutsy disposition and ice-blond braids, the Mother of Dragons became a byword for female empowerment, not to mention a costume party staple (both Madonna and Khloe Kardashian have donned the Daenerys getup). — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 29 May 2026 Marant launched her label and had her first show in 1994, quickly becoming a byword for a hip, womanly brand of boho chic. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Once tourist fodder, the musical has remained a byword for hokey commercialism. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
  1. proverb
  2. classic
  3. word
  4. manifestation
  5. saying
  6. model
  7. motto
  8. apotheosis
Noun
  • That proverb, attributed to everyone from Yogi Berra to a Danish Nobel laureate, springs to mind whenever someone asks me about an upcoming NFL season.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • An ancient proverb notes that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of proverb
Noun
  • That superlative in this cult classic goes to Tim Curry, who's delightfully fiendish as the devilishly monstrous Darkness.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The smashburger was the same as always, juicy and full of cheese, and the dill and pickle in the Caesar salad brought a bright and refreshing twist to the classic.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of classic
Noun
  • The applause barely stopped, and the crowd sang along to every word as well as danced in their seats throughout the entire two-and-a-half-hour show.
    — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Her words are not of gratitude but resentment, bile and narcissism.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of word
Noun
  • One manifestation of that shift is a Holiday Inn Express ad campaign that ran for more than a decade beginning in 1998 and showed ordinary people completing complex tasks such as brain surgery that were far outside their professional expertise.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The dropping/suspension was the beginning of the end, or at least the most public manifestation of the beginning of the end.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • But there is a saying in the military that leadership sets the tone, and when the most senior leaders are flippant at best, and cruel at worst, many will understand that to be the permissible standard.
    — Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There’s an old saying in football that the best gig is that of the assistant coach.
    — JOE DAVIDSON, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of saying
Noun
  • When model Tricia Helfer came in for a touch-up before an introductory visit to her boyfriend’s parents, Johns toned down her bright blonde chunks to play up her naturally innocent looks.
    — Vanessa Friedman, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Meteorologists said the majority of model guidance does not indicate a credible hurricane threat to California during the second week of September.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of model
Noun
  • That has been Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s motto since the late director and College of DuPage educator Craig Berger founded the equity ensemble 40 years ago.
    — Barbara Vitello, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • That's The Post's motto, which can be seen in Instagram-able fashion on a parking lot mural behind The Post's original Germantown digs.
    — Bob Vitale, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of motto
Noun
  • The story of theory, from its birth in France to its unlikely apotheosis in America, is a tale rich not just in ideas but—ironically, given the Frenchmen’s generally antihumanist stance—human drama.
    — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • The millenia-old quest to control fire may be nearing its apotheosis as technology has finally come for some one of the oldest cooking techniques out there.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of apotheosis

Browse Nearby Words

byways
byword
bywords
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All