Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

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Ten Kinds of Happiness

Joyful words from around the world

‘Fascism’: The Word’s Meaning and History

17 Words for Dog Breeds

If you love dogs and words, you’re barking up the right tree

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

And why isn't it 'bury the lead'?

What exactly is a 'liberal'?

No one wants a 'servile arts' degree

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

10 words expert players use

9 Superb Owl Words

Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? We do!

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Are you ready for some stoolball?

Word Choices

Gabrielle Zevin

Emily Flake

New Yorker Cartoonist

Celeste Ng

Eli Cymet

Video Game Writer/Producer, Cuphead

Emma Straub

Novelist and Children’s Book Author

Arts & Culture

Where does the expression 'throw someone under the bus' come from?

Let's blame the British

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

We know you're going to look these up

Top Banana, Kingpin, and Other Nicknames for Important People

Big wigs, big enchiladas, and big shots

The Left Hand of (Supposed) Darkness

It depends on what side you're coming from.

Merriam-Webster's Short List of Gender and Identity Terms

In case you (or someone you know) has questions about what they mean

Foreign

10 English Words from Dutch

Learn how to tell your caboodle from your caboose

10 of Our Favourite British Words

Please don't whinge about being knackered, you prat.

'In Vino Veritas' and Other Latin Phrases to Live By

Top 10 Latin Phrases

Favorite Words From Foreign Languages

Karaoke, chutzpah, kerfuffle & more

10 Words from Nahuatl, the Language of the Aztecs

Avocado, chocolate, and more

Games & Hobbies

A Player's Guide to 'Q' without 'U' Words

Remember this and win.

These Are Fighting Words

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

Winning Scrabble Words for Everyday People

You don't have to be a pro to play these words.

Know Your Baseball Idioms

'Southpaw,' 'can of corn,' and other phrases

Are You Ready for Some Football (Words)?

So you can do more than smile and nod when talking about the big game

Science & Nature

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

A bouquet of floral origin stories

12 Bird Names that Sound Like Compliments

From the godwits at your favorite dictionary

12 Words for Signs of Spring

Spring is springing

'Blue Moon,' 'Wolf Moon,' and Other Moons to Look for Throughout the Year

More moons than you can shake a stick at

9 Superb Owl Words

Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? We do!

Word History

Much Ado about ‘Folie à deux’

From French psychiatry to the silver screen

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different

Including the secret history of 'secretary'

Etymologies for Every Day of the Week

The sun, the moon, four gods, and a goddess.

Eavesdrop, Fiasco, and 8 More Words with Surprising Origins

Including some trivia on ‘trivia’

Funner, Stupider, and Other Words That Are in Fact Real

Don't argue with the dictionary