SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

up close

adverb or adjective

Definition of up close

: at close range

1653

First Known Use of up close

1653

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WORD OF THE DAY

threshold

play

the point at which something begins

Words at Play

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Pride: From Vice to Strength

Why Pride sometimes comes with a capital 'P.'

Pink: The Color that Will Change Your Life

From Fuchsia to Baker-Miller Pink

That Sucks Word Alternatives

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

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'All the Feels,' All the Time

Once more, with 'feels'

Ask the Editors

Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz

Summer's first WOTD quiz.

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Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Is that your picture under "Largest Vocabulary"?

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True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

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