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
Over the past five years, El Salvador has gone from a byword for dysfunction in American politics to a potential model for some, particularly for those on the Right.
—
Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for byword
Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for byword
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byword
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
This is a club, as the Joy Division classic goes, that is meant to fall apart when Easter arrives.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Glenn’s silver-screen legacy includes small parts in genuine classics like Nashville (1975) and Apocalypse Now (1979) to major roles in The Right Stuff (1983), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His sentences stopped making sense, then his words.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Some teachers have pushed back against the changes to reading instruction, which place a greater emphasis on phonics and discourage the use of context clues to guess at words.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The tilt of recent immigration toward higher skilled workers from Asia is another manifestation of this same pattern.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
-
But the truly painful manifestation of distaste for Musk has been entirely legal, as consumers have shunned his cars.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Read more The pathetic, slow-motion downfall of Barack Obama Houseguests and fish begin to smell after three days, as the saying goes.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
-
As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.—
Fernanda Galan,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The tiered model approach allows developers to select the appropriate balance between performance and cost, with GPT-4.1 Nano being ideal for tasks like classification or autocompletion, and the standard GPT-4.1 model suited for more complex applications.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The model aims to help students live and learn together—making everyone feel welcome, and also helping students navigate the conflicts that inevitably arise in a community where people have different world views.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Eradicate ransomware together is the motto of the Halcyon Threat Research Incentive Program, known as TRIP for short, which launched April 21.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Here's everything to know about Mel Robbin's motto that has taken over the internet.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That scene at the opera was, for me anyway, the apotheosis of it.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2025
-
But humanity is not progressing toward an apotheosis.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byword. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share