Topic: word of the year

Merriam-Webster's dictionaries are displayed for sale at a Barnes & Noble store on January 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Merriam-Webster sums up 2024

Kelly McClure
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)

How "Squid Game" challenges authenticity

Melanie McFarland
They as singular (Salon/Ilana Lidagoster)

"They" was voted as "Word of the Decade"

Reed Blaylock - The Conversation
(Getty/Ricardo Arduengo)

Words that defined us in 2017

Kate Yoder - Grist

Our frustrated emoji year

Erin Coulehan
(Shutterstock)

The Word Of The Year is "Vape"
(<a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-427951p1.html'>sheff</a> via <a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/'>Shutterstock</a>)

Prachi Gupta
(AP)

Mary Elizabeth Williams
(Stuart Miles)

Prachi Gupta