SINCE 1828

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These Are Fighting Words

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

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Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

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Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

a state or period of senile decay

Latest Posts

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Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

These Are Fighting Words

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

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The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

When each letter can be seen but not heard

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'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

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"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

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What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

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Welcome to the New Words

From 'hive mind' to 'sriracha'

9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Class is in session.

8 Foods Named After Real People

A delicious collection of eponymous foods

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What Is a 'Third-Culture Kid'?

A new form of cultural identity

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'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive Guide

People have several/a few/a couple questions.

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Is 'Negotiate' Literally a Barbaric Word?

It was once deemed very controversial.

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Words We're Watching: 'Tiny House'

Just how tiny is a 'tiny house'?

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'Straight' vs. 'Strait': A Dire Situation

How to use these oft-confused words

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'Whole Nother': Wrong or Right?

'Nother' is in fact a real word.

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Is It 'Damp Down' or 'Tamp Down'?

We're not trying to be a wet blanket here.

9 Words That Will Leave You Bamboozled

Words of flimflammery and hucksterism

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What About "Whataboutism?"

Why mention X if someone else did Y?

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Is 'Could Of' an Accepted Form of 'Could Have'?

Don't take this as an endorsement.

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The Medical History of 'Remiss'

Don't worry: it's not brain surgery.

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Words We're Watching: 'Antifa'

What it means and how to say it

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

No more order anxiety!

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'Contactless': A New Way To Shop

Will you be paying by phone?

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What's a 'Clapback'?

"?Shut. ?It. ?Down."

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WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

play

of yeast or being unsettled or frivolous

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?

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

TAKE THE QUIZ

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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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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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

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Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

True or False?

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

Take the quiz

Dictionary Devil

Dictionary Devil

The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?

Play the game