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Word History

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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play video cynic
The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

play video between you and i or me
I vs. Me

 

'Between you and __'? Simple guidance for a tricky pronoun.

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

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Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

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Literally

 

A word that (literally) drives people nuts

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How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

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What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

Games & Quizzes

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Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
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The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
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Quiz: Spot the Misspelled Word! Think you can detect a spelling error from a mile...
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