Wordplay: For the Love of Language

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cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="hero-item-promo-info-block flex-grow-1 hero-item-promo-info-block-featured"> <h3 class="teaser-title">The Longest Long Words List</h3> <span class="teaser-desc">21 words with 21 letters or more</span> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col header-card-img-overlay wap-featured-media-promo-item mb-5 col-xl-3 col-lg-4 col-xs-12 col-6 wap-featured-media-hero-card"> <a class="d-flex flex-column text-decoration-none" href="/wordplay/pilfer-how-to-play-and-win" content-type-attr="article"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container overflow-hidden position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/pilfer%20a%20merriam-webster%20game-11540-0bcca26f9bea540fecfc5365d8e71b9b@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/pilfer%20a%20merriam-webster%20game-11540-0bcca26f9bea540fecfc5365d8e71b9b@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="pilfer a merriam-webster game" alt="pilfer a merriam-webster game" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="hero-item-promo-info-block flex-grow-1 "> <h3 class="teaser-title">Pilfer: How to Play and Win</h3> <span class="teaser-desc">Welcome to our newest word game</span> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col header-card-img-overlay wap-featured-media-promo-item mb-5 col-xl-3 col-lg-4 col-xs-12 col-6 wap-featured-media-hero-card"> <a class="d-flex flex-column text-decoration-none" href="/wordplay/bird-sounds" content-type-attr="gallery"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container overflow-hidden position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/fish%20crow%20calling-9255-f7d2321d0809a4880ff1328c984293d0@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/fish%20crow%20calling-9255-f7d2321d0809a4880ff1328c984293d0@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="fish crow calling" alt="fish crow calling" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="hero-item-promo-info-block flex-grow-1 "> <h3 class="teaser-title">15 Bird Sounds and the Birds Who Make Them</h3> <span class="teaser-desc">15 bird sounds, and the birds who make them</span> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container-xxl"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <ul id="wordplay-label-headers-list" class="wap-subcategory-label-headers-list d-flex"> <li class="mb-3 ms-2 me-2"><a 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url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-6679c9c80c94f-11582-4ea35e384a4144b26911186556a97a74@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="alt-6679c9c80c94f" alt="alt-6679c9c80c94f" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="pt-3 pb-2 pe-4 ps-4"> <h3 class="teaser-title">8 Words with Fascinating Histories</h3> <div class="teaser-desc">Heads up: one is 'vulgar'</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-12"> <a class="d-block text-decoration-none h-100" href="/wordplay/obscure-musical-instrument-words"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <div 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h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-661fd1fa1c736-11427-71955a022d4f638ac00c263fe87c7690@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-661fd1fa1c736-11427-71955a022d4f638ac00c263fe87c7690@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="alt-661fd1fa1c736" alt="alt-661fd1fa1c736" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="pt-3 pb-2 pe-4 ps-4"> <h3 class="teaser-title">10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)</h3> <div class="teaser-desc">Look what you made us do</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-12"> <a class="d-block text-decoration-none h-100" href="/wordplay/scrabble-words-without-vowels"> <div 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href="/wordplay/more-bird-names-that-sound-like-insults"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-65cfc2ce78f5b-11266-5ea9dd93fe2b10d65783be4dd3898586@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-65cfc2ce78f5b-11266-5ea9dd93fe2b10d65783be4dd3898586@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="alt-65cfc2ce78f5b" alt="alt-65cfc2ce78f5b" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="pt-3 pb-2 pe-4 ps-4"> <h3 class="teaser-title">12 More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)</h3> <div class="teaser-desc">Words beloved even by cranky fans and pettichaps</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-12"> <a class="d-block text-decoration-none h-100" href="/wordplay/uncommon-love-words"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-659eac9ed088b-11145-a4b1ebcda04f0d570ce1de1f78ac70a1@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-659eac9ed088b-11145-a4b1ebcda04f0d570ce1de1f78ac70a1@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="alt-659eac9ed088b" alt="alt-659eac9ed088b" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="pt-3 pb-2 pe-4 ps-4"> <h3 class="teaser-title">8 Uncommon Words Related to Love</h3> <div class="teaser-desc">You won't find these on candy conversation hearts, but maybe you should</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-12"> <a class="d-block text-decoration-none h-100" href="/wordplay/9-superb-owl-words"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-65b7f56e3fd52-11193-f00783dc0373747b3ce12f73fbb2f935@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/alt-65b7f56e3fd52-11193-f00783dc0373747b3ce12f73fbb2f935@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="alt-65b7f56e3fd52" alt="alt-65b7f56e3fd52" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="pt-3 pb-2 pe-4 ps-4"> <h3 class="teaser-title">9 Superb Owl Words</h3> <div class="teaser-desc">Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? We do!</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wap-ad-area-placeholder"></div> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <div class="content-section-promos content-section-with-header mb-5 mt-5"> <div class="content-section-header content-section-border-gold"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <h2>Word Choices</h2> </div> </div> <div class="content-section-body"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list row"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item wap-categories-media-list-item-sm custom-col-length col mb-5"> <a class="d-block h-100 text-decoration-none" href="/video/word-choices-gabrielle-zevin"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <img class="video-player-icon" src="/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-11-21--20-21-26-7n0flg/images/svg/video-player.svg"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/novelist%20gabrielle%20zevin%20with%20her%20book%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow-10786-68263da74c7b410a267a97f3a0fecbfa@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/novelist%20gabrielle%20zevin%20with%20her%20book%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow%20and%20tomorrow-10786-68263da74c7b410a267a97f3a0fecbfa@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="novelist gabrielle zevin with her book tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" alt="novelist gabrielle zevin with her book tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="teaser-content-box"> <h3 class="teaser-title">Gabrielle Zevin</h3> <div class="teaser-text">Novelist</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item wap-categories-media-list-item-sm custom-col-length col mb-5"> <a class="d-block h-100 text-decoration-none" href="/video/word-choices-emily-flake"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <img class="video-player-icon" src="/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-11-21--20-21-26-7n0flg/images/svg/video-player.svg"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/silhouette%20of%20cartoonist%20emily%20flake%20with%20one%20of%20her%20new%20yorker%20cartoons%20showing%20a%20lion%20working%20at%20an%20office%20desk-10781-0e87c301960afcefc344b453b58243c0@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/silhouette%20of%20cartoonist%20emily%20flake%20with%20one%20of%20her%20new%20yorker%20cartoons%20showing%20a%20lion%20working%20at%20an%20office%20desk-10781-0e87c301960afcefc344b453b58243c0@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="silhouette of cartoonist emily flake with one of her new yorker cartoons showing a lion working at an office desk" alt="silhouette of cartoonist emily flake with one of her new yorker cartoons showing a lion working at an office desk" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; background-size: cover; background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"></div> </div> <div class="teaser-content-box"> <h3 class="teaser-title">Emily Flake</h3> <div class="teaser-text">New Yorker Cartoonist</div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item wap-categories-media-list-item-sm custom-col-length col mb-5"> <a class="d-block h-100 text-decoration-none" href="/video/word-choices-celeste-ng"> <div class="wap-categories-media-list-item-content h-100"> <div class="wap-categories-img-container position-relative"> <img class="video-player-icon" src="/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-11-21--20-21-26-7n0flg/images/svg/video-player.svg"> <div data-background-image-set="url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/novelist%20celest%20ng%20with%20her%20book%20our%20missing%20heart-10785-382d303bf47be5b66b2f62a3328ce755@1x.jpg) 1x, url(https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/omni/omni-4x3-457x343/novelist%20celest%20ng%20with%20her%20book%20our%20missing%20heart-10785-382d303bf47be5b66b2f62a3328ce755@2x.jpg) 2x" aria-label="novelist celest ng with her book our missing heart" alt="novelist celest ng with her book our missing heart" role="image" class="lazyload-container lazyload ratio-4-3" style="opacity: 1; 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