as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
spent his first year at the Pentagon just trying to fathom its byzantine workings
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Recent Examples of byzantine
The total fee required to launch my mother’s dress on this byzantine odyssey was seven thousand five hundred dollars.
—
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The layout is byzantine in part because Paramount bought the former rival RKO studio lot from Desilu Productions to create the lot known today.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The airline industry is a complex beast, and O’Hare is byzantine itself.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Behind the scenes, Florida Division of Emergency Management officials had spent nearly half of last year navigating a byzantine process in an attempt to secure reimbursement for its immigration operations, according to the emails.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Though famously byzantine, these processes were created to ensure local control over development decisions.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The layout is byzantine in part because Paramount bought the former rival RKO studio lot from Desilu Productions to create the lot known today.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The airline industry is a complex beast, and O’Hare is byzantine itself.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Behind the scenes, Florida Division of Emergency Management officials had spent nearly half of last year navigating a byzantine process in an attempt to secure reimbursement for its immigration operations, according to the emails.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s because of the byzantine rules for local tax measures.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
Though famously byzantine, these processes were created to ensure local control over development decisions.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byzantine
Adjective
-
And in South Florida groups have stepped in to support migrants navigating complicated immigration processes, from deportation to self-deportation, often filling gaps left by government systems.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But determining what percentage of the population would stay and fight is complicated.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some were draped in ivy, others adorned with pink blossoms, but none are forgotten by nature’s touch—each brought to life by the intricate details that transport you into a postcard of the Italian countryside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Drawing inspiration from the human hand’s intricate design and proprioceptive capabilities, this study aims to enhance the dexterity of robotic hands, particularly in multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) motion and posture perception.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Then set aside time to file electronically, use tax software or meet with a professional if your finances are more complex.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to the waste from duplication, the DA has noted that the new unit could threaten complex cases involving coordination with the state attorney general and end up prematurely settling cases that are part of larger investigations.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her middle name isn’t a very sophisticated one.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Buying artificial or natural flowers that are in season is a great way to create a sophisticated environment for your event.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byzantine. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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