variants
or spellcheck
or spell check
plural spell-checks or spellchecks or spell checks
: the act or process of using a spellchecker to identify possible misspellings
do/run a quick spell-check
an error found by spell-check
also
: the function or capability provided by a spellchecker
a program equipped with spell-check
Have spell-check and instant messaging (oh, the grammar and spelling!) ruined the copy editors of tomorrow? —
Stephanie A. Weiss
—often used before another noun Stephanie A. Weiss a spell-check device/program/function
spell-checked; spell-checking; spell-checks
: to check the spelling of (something, such a document or block of text) by using a spellchecker
Not only can I put words together at 10 times the speed of using pen and paper, but I can also transfer those words to the digital realm, where they can be edited, spell-checked, e-mailed, quoted, blogged and Googled.—Steven Johnson
Steven JohnsonExamples of spell-check in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
Back with the early days of computers, my editor was trying to show me how to do spell-check.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2025
Grammar – fix grammar and spelling beyond your classic ‘spell-check’.
—Sol Rashidi, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
For instance, in recent years, the company replaced the old Find dialog with the Navigation pane and the spell-check dialog with the Proofing pane.
—PCMAG, 12 Oct. 2024
Give him a checklist of crucial items to confirm for every project: names, spell-check, living status.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
Using the technology isn’t the same as using any other tool, like a calculator or spell-check.
—Rachel Shin, Fortune, 13 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Samantha, much like today’s AIs, sorts Theodore’s emails and spell-checks his letters.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
Back with the early days of computers, my editor was trying to show me how to do spell-check.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2025
Grammar – fix grammar and spelling beyond your classic ‘spell-check’.
—Sol Rashidi, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
For instance, in recent years, the company replaced the old Find dialog with the Navigation pane and the spell-check dialog with the Proofing pane.
—PCMAG, 12 Oct. 2024
Give him a checklist of crucial items to confirm for every project: names, spell-check, living status.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
Using the technology isn’t the same as using any other tool, like a calculator or spell-check.
—Rachel Shin, Fortune, 13 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Spell-check.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spell-check. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spell-check
noun
: the act or process of using a spellchecker to identify possible misspellings
also
: the function or capability provided by a spellchecker
spell-check
verb
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