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Est. 1828
Wordplay
Arts & Culture
If You Like to Complain About 'Decimate'...
You'll love to hate these other words!
Words of the Week - Jan. 5
Lookups from Europe, higher education, and the new year
12 Words and Phrases for Romantic Relationships
This list warms the cockles of our hearts
Where Does the Expression 'Throw Someone Under the Bus' Come From?
Let's blame the British
Top Banana, Kingpin, and Other Nicknames for Important People
Big wigs, big enchiladas, and big shots
Merriam-Webster's Short List of Gender and Identity Terms
In case you (or someone you know) has questions about what they mean
Why Do We Park in the Driveway and Drive on the Parkway?
The answer to one of life's big questions
10 Surprisingly Odd Food Names
The Sometimes-Sweet, Sometimes-Unsavory Story Behind Some Bizarre Foods
Pop Rhetoric: Our Favorites
Rhetorical devices in pop songs
Archaic Words We Know from Christmas Songs
You only need to know these words for one month out of the year
'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms
24 down-home turns of phrase
'Dumbledore', 'Hippogriff', and 11 More Real Words from Harry Potter
Muggles welcome.
The History of 'Wag the Dog'
Making a big show about it
The Hilarious History of 'OK'
English's most successful export
10 Words Conjuring Hell and the Devil
Going beyond the fire and brimstone
What Exactly Is a 'Liberal'?
No one wants a 'servile arts' degree
7 Words from Political Scandals
Behind the smoke-filled rooms
10 Phrases from Shakespeare
Where the "wild goose chase" comes from
Has ‘supper’ always meant ‘dinner?'
Your grandmother might answer differently.
11 Words Used to Great Effect by Edgar Allan Poe
The Vocabulary in the Rue Morgue
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary
What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.
Why Do We 'Bury the Lede?'
And why isn't it 'bury the lead'?
What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?
The acronyms began as telegraph codes
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Can you solve 4 words at once?
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Can you solve 4 words at once?
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ominous
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