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Words Matter

The True Story of the Backward Index

These people needed a computer


There it sits, hidden in plain view on a set of shelves in the basement of the Merriam-Webster offices: the Backward Index. But why would anyone type out 315,000 words spelled in reverse?

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The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

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'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

 

We're gonna stop you right there

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

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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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Affect vs. Effect

 

Here's the lowdown on what may be the most confusing pair of words in the English language.