"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.
Source: tatoeba (35985)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Keep "nicodemus" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "nicodemus" intact in the sentence you are editing.
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
After choosing a replacement for "nicodemus", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "nicodemus" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
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4 total sentences available.
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.
Source: tatoeba (35985)
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus.
Source: tatoeba (54081)
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:
Source: wiktionary
How many Caesars and Pompeys, he would say, by mere inspiration of their names, have been rendered worthy of them? And how many, he would add, are there, who might have done exceedingly well in the world, had not their characters and spirits been totally depressed and Nicodemus’d into nothing?
Source: wiktionary
Closest matches include biblical figure, forename, given name, personal name, pharisee.
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.