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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.

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Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

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I vs. Me

 

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

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Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

 

Comedian ISMO on the complexities of the word 'tip'

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Who vs. Whom

 

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

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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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Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

Games & Quizzes

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Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
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Blossom Pick the best words!
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The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2 No Number 2 pencil required.
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