as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
Thomas Edward Lawrence is better known to most people by his byname, Lawrence of Arabia
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of byname
Robert the Wise was a good teacher — and, as his byname suggests, a good role model.
—
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byname
Noun
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Multiple people have told The Athletic: The number of people detained for sending critical tweets about Al-Sheikh led to one area of a Riyadh jail becoming known by prisoners as the ‘Tutu Wing’, referring to his nickname.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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David shared a separate post and referred to his son with his nickname Bust.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Emily, who didn't share her surname, lives in the Midwest with her 11 cats.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
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Yes, his surname is definitely a little tribute to Jon.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This species has no fragrance; its lavender appellation simply acknowledges its flower color while its rosemary epithet indicates its seacoast habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Orange County Register,
22 Mar. 2025
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More than a decade after Breaking Bad ended, Aaron Paul still can’t escape his character’s signature epithet.—
John Russell,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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