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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Harris was not charged with that murder, but the Law & Order writers implied he was involved with the crime and used nicknames similar to Harris’ case.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
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Ken Takakura is usually called by his nickname, Okarun, a moniker given to him by Momo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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In several posts and replies, Grok was seen attaching stereotypes to users with Jewish surnames, glorifying Hitler and spreading conspiracies about the over-involvement of Jewish people in government, commerce and Hollywood.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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Users reported receiving responses that praised Adolf Hitler, used antisemitic phrases and attacked users with traditionally Jewish surnames.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The defendants, who were white, also used racial epithets toward Majors, prosecutors said.—
Kelly Puente,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Musk and Trump’s potent political alliance seemed to meet a dramatic end a month ago in an exchange of blistering epithets, with Trump threatening to go after Musk’s business interests, and Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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