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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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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Opting for relationship terms (auntie) or unrelated nicknames (little cabbage) is the default.—
Shayla Love,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2025
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One nickname — Zombie tranq — reflects shambling from deep sedation.—
Pat Beall,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The trigger for the protests was the death of a teenage student, whose surname was Dang and who was in his third year at the school.—
Shawn Deng,
CNN,
11 Jan. 2025
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Editors’ Picks The tourist, who only gave her surname, Xu, shared a video showing several single-story brick buildings with collapsed walls.—
Bhadra Sharma,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The next day, one of his supporters called U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s chambers and called her a racial epithet.—
Josh Meyer,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
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In Greek mythology, Chloe was an epithet of the goddess Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near byname
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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