in name

idiom

used with a following statement to say that something is so by name or title but that is not the way things really are
The Emperor rules in name but not in fact.
She's my boss in name, but we're really more like partners.

Examples of in name in a Sentence

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Fictional coach Barry Valdez — eerily similar in name to Badgers Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez — had won three consecutive national championships for Little, built a roster full of five-star recruits and signed a new six-year contract. Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 There are 433 parks within the National Park System, but only 63 are national parks in name. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025 For the past decade, DU vs. Colorado College hockey has been a rivalry in name only. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2025 The 23 year old has earned more than $1 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals during her college career, per Sportico, and made her third career first-team All-American on Wednesday. Everett Cook, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in name

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Cite this Entry

“In name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20name. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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