Wordplay

Arts & Culture

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Our maraca shake brings all the hautbois to the yard

Pop Rhetoric: Our Favorites

Rhetorical devices in pop songs

If You Like to Complain About 'Decimate'...

You'll love to hate these other words!

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Here's how all this nonsense started

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

Look what you made us do

15 Cheffy Words for Chefs (and Everyone Else)

Including 'cheffy'

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

What Does 'Eighty-Six' Mean?

We won't refuse you service

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'?

A Guide to British Noble Titles

Know your Duchess from your Baroness

When is ‘cuffing season'?

Something to do during the cold, dark months.

17 Tasty Names of Appetizers

Enjoy. They're complimentary.

The History of 'Nuclear Family'

Getting at the core of it.

12 Star Wars Words

Enjoy this listicle, you will

Pilfer: How to Play and Win

Welcome to our newest word game

8 Words and Phrases from U.S. Presidents

How to sound presidential

200 New Words and Definitions Added to Merriam-Webster.com

The Changing Meaning of 'Elope'

Read this before you elope. Or 'elope.'

10 Better Ways to Say Underwear

Get your knickers in a twist
1 of 9