variants also ikon
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as in symbol
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the player's remote control is very user-friendly as it doesn't use any icons that you haven't seen a million times before
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3
as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) cites Marlene Dietrich as an icon of old-time Hollywood glamour
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as in star
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about a sports bar filled with photos of icons from football, basketball, and baseball
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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as in image
a two dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing any icon of the Deity is regarded as blasphemous by adherents of that religion
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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 icon Host and creator Becca Auerbach’s involved a run in with rock icon David Lee Roth. —
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026 The movie was a box office hit with $94 million worldwide and kickstarted McConaughey’s tenure as a romantic comedy icon. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026 The man known as El Guëro to his family, friends and community is a Chicago food icon. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 For stars including Teyana Taylor, Dove Cameron, JADE and Megan Moroney, the opportunity to try on the heels of musical icons and heroes Janet Jackson, Cher, Madonna and Dolly Parton (respectively) was too fun to miss. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for icon
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026 The movie was a box office hit with $94 million worldwide and kickstarted McConaughey’s tenure as a romantic comedy icon. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026 The man known as El Guëro to his family, friends and community is a Chicago food icon. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 For stars including Teyana Taylor, Dove Cameron, JADE and Megan Moroney, the opportunity to try on the heels of musical icons and heroes Janet Jackson, Cher, Madonna and Dolly Parton (respectively) was too fun to miss. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for icon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for icon
Noun
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Yet if Charlie Baker walked into that convention hall on Saturday, he no doubt would be hailed as a hero.— Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
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But the hero from those wins was dressed in a crisp white T-shirt and gray pants Friday.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Now it had been relegated again to a leftist cause, a symbol of anti-imperial resistance for some and the face of communism’s failings for others.— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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Houseplant’s new Italian Collection includes pieces made and hand-painted in Deruta, all boasting that near-ubiquitous symbol of good luck and protection found on so many Italian pottery pieces—the rooster.— Rachel Wallace, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The pop star’s headlining set was a two-year-old manifestation come to life.— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
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Tickets for the event, which includes yoga, manifestation and sound healing, start at 2,699 Australian dollars ($1,912) per person.— Reuters, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Thanks to its high altitude and exceptionally dark skies, this location offers stunning views of the Milky Way and countless stars.— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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What the stars have to do with love is a tricky question.— New York Times, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But in this day and age of college football, with name, image and likeness deals keeping kids in college and depleting draft classes … are there really any reaches outside of the first 20 picks?— Vic Tafur, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
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Between Hubble's first image of the Trifid taken in 1997 and this new image, astronomers have been able to measure the speed of the jet and see how its size and structure have changed during the intervening 29 years.— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cecilio Waterman celebrated his stoppage-time winner by running to Thierry Henry, who was there as a TV pundit, hugging him and telling him Henry was his idol.— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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The movie is a surreal story about the life of a hero (voiced by professional rapper Ace Cool) who, in his youth, becomes a J-pop idol.— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the idea of using one for multiple hours every day, or of trying to socialize in real life while the people around me try to meet my digital avatar’s dead eyes, is absurd.— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Vernon will take the stage over the July 24-25 weekend as a kind of full-tilt avatar of Bob Dylan, channeling the songwriter circa 1994 while performing material from across his catalog.— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rebecca Morin The White House Correspondents Association, a nonprofit member organization of journalists who cover the presidency, hosts an annual dinner each year that brings together members of the press, lawmakers and celebrities.— Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
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And just as celebrity hairstylist SherriAnn Cole recently advised in Vogue, Clarke resisted the common urge to match her brows to her new blonde hair.— Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Icon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/icon. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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