Words

Would a scarecrow by any other name scare as many crows?

The ’90s catchphrase was made famous by ‘Seinfeld,’ but Jerry and company didn’t coin it.

Can you figure out what the two missing letters are and type in the correct word?

From rabbits to butterflies, learn the surprising origins of these animal names.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

There are lots of UK place names—and plenty of surprises in store.

From phrasal verbs to loanwords, here's how English speakers repeat themselves without realizing it.

Both are places where we bury the dearly departed, and the words are often used interchangeably. But that hasn’t always been the case.

Its political legacy began during the Iran hostage crisis, but other kinds of October surprises had been happening for decades.

Can you deduce what letters are missing and figure out the word?

Here are some highlights from Merriam-Webster’s latest slate of additions.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

As Stephen King once said, novellas are “too long to be short and too short to be really long.”

The phrase made famous by ‘Good Will Hunting’ is much older than the 1997 film—and doesn’t have anything to do with actual apples.

Can you deduce what letters are missing and figure out the word?

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

The first jack-o'-lanterns were made with turnips, not pumpkins.

Shoppers have been referring to Target as ‘tar-jay’ for over 60 years.

Put your spelling skills to the test.

A Swedish immigrant changed the face of wrenches forever.

In honor of Banned Books Week, the ALA published its list of 2023’s most contentious titles.

From ‘skeletons in the closet’ to ‘graveyard shift,’ here’s how five eerie idioms came to be.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Know your latte from your cappuccino before you embarrass yourself.