as in monikers
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
his wavy hair earned him the nickname "Curly" early in life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 nicknames
Paige Williams, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
With his nightly mockery of the second-term leader, including a string of biting nicknames including Fiberace, Nostra-Dumbass, Count Flatula, and his most recent, Rant-a-Claus, the Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Dec. 2025
These nicknames are a stab in my heart.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2025
Led by the matriarch known as Boa (Paula Dinamarca), the women take great pride in their appearances and their colorful nicknames, and can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of their situation.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Very few people, or groups get to pick the nicknames people refer to them as.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 11 Dec. 2025
Nobody said nicknames had to rhyme.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025
In his caption, Cannon took the time to share the nicknames of the quartet.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
This Indiana endangered species goes by some not so attractive nicknames like snot otter, lasagna lizard and Alleghany alligator, but the most common name used to denote Indiana’s largest salamander conjures a more demonic air.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
Herrington leads the recruiting, and encourages nicknames.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for nicknames
Noun
-
While soulful names, grandma/grandpa ones, and monikers with many vowels or inspired by numbers also made the trending list, the biggest influence on baby names in 2026 is the media parents are consuming, says Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry.—
-
Kimchis 1 through 5 were monikers bestowed on them by US crew members in homage to the beloved Korean dish (and perhaps a reflection of a less culturally sensitive time).—
Noun
-
Just a few days earlier in California, a house that had been decorated with lights celebrating Chanukah was riddled with bullets, with the assailant having been heard to yell anti-Jewish epithets.—
-
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.—
Noun
-
That history includes the surnames Hazeltine, Wilcox, Turner, Norton, Woodall, Willis, Bowman, Warner, Greenlaw and many more.—
-
The Breakers, the new four-story, colonial-style, 425-guest-room hotel, reopened for the season the following year, and its guest register read like a roll call of the famous—and infamous—surnames of the Gilded Age.—
Cite this Entry
“Nicknames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nicknames. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
