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word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
Words of the Year

2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski discusses 'justice' and the rest of our Word of the Year 2018 selections


How did we choose justice as our Word of the Year? Peter Sokolowski explains the data behind our decisions, and how this and the other Words of the Year reflect what was on people's minds this year.

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play word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

How we chose 'justice'

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The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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How to Read a French Menu

 

How to 'amuse-bouche' without begging pardon for your French

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Further vs. Farther

 

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

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Video: Why is there a 'c' in 'indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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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.

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The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

Games & Quizzes

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Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
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Blossom Pick the best words!
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The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
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Sound Check: A Musical Word Quiz Tune-up your vocabulary
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