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   Switchboard | Definition of Switchboard by Merriam-Webster
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unicode-range: U+0102-0103, U+0110-0111, U+1EA0-1EF9, U+20AB; } /* latin-ext */ @font-face { font-display: block; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; src: local('Open Sans Bold Italic'), local('OpenSans-BoldItalic'), url('https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/fonts/memnYaGs126MiZpBA-UFUKWiUNhlIqOxjaPXZSk.woff2') format('woff2'); unicode-range: U+0100-024F, U+0259, U+1E00-1EFF, U+2020, U+20A0-20AB, U+20AD-20CF, U+2113, U+2C60-2C7F, U+A720-A7FF; } /* latin */ @font-face { font-display: block; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; src: local('Open Sans Bold Italic'), local('OpenSans-BoldItalic'), url('https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/fonts/memnYaGs126MiZpBA-UFUKWiUNhrIqOxjaPX.woff2') format('woff2'); unicode-range: U+0000-00FF, U+0131, U+0152-0153, U+02BB-02BC, U+02C6, U+02DA, U+02DC, U+2000-206F, U+2074, U+20AC, U+2122, U+2191, U+2193, U+2212, U+2215, U+FEFF, U+FFFD; } /* cyrillic-ext */ @font-face { font-display: block; font-family: 'Open Sans'; 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Homograph']="true";window.mwHeapEvents['Definition - Number of Words']=80;window.mwHeapEvents['Definition - Number of Senses']=2;</script><div class=container data-word-click=enabled id=definition-wrapper><div class=row><div class="left-content col-lg-7 col-xl-8"id=left-content><span class=anchor-name data-hom=1 href=# id=h1-anchor> </span><div class="row entry-header"><div class=col-12><h1 class=hword>switchboard</h1><span class=fl>  <a class=important-blue-link href=/dictionary/noun> noun </a>  </span></div><div class="col-12 save-to-list"><a data-ref=dictionary data-word=switchboard href=/saved-words id=save-to-list-link> <span class="ul-add-icon ul-icon"> <svg viewbox="0 0 14 19"class=ul-word-list-icon height=19px version=1.1 width=14px xmlns=http://www.w3.org/2000/svg xmlns:xlink=http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink><g fill=none fill-rule=evenodd id=WordList stroke=none stroke-width=1><rect class=rect-fill height=9 id=RectFill r=0 rx=0 ry=0 stroke=none width=12 x=1 y=1></rect><polygon points="1 8 13 8 13 17 7 12.6775391 1 17"fill=#97bece id=Path-10></polygon><polygon points="1 1 13 1 13 17 6.98357563 12.2587174 1 17"id=Path-11 stroke=#fff stroke-width=1.5></polygon></g></svg> </span> <span id=save-to-list-txt> Save Word </span> </a></div></div><div class=ul-must-login-def><div id=save-word-login-html></div></div><div class="row entry-attr"><div class=col><span class=word-syllables> switch·​board </span><span class=prs> <span class=syl-break> | </span> <span class=first-slash> \ </span> <span class=pr> ˈswich-ˌbȯrd </span> <a class="play-pron hw-play-pron"data-title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"data-dir=s data-file=switch05 data-lang=en_us data-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05 href=/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05> <img alt="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"class=svg src=/images/svg/audio.svg> </a> <span class=last-slash> \ </span> </span></div></div><div id=dictionary-entry-1><div class="row vg-header"><div class=col><h2>Definition of <em> switchboard </em></h2><p class=entryNumbers></div></div><div class=vg><div class="sb no-sn"><span class=sb-0> <div class="sense no-subnum"><span class=dt> <span class=dtText> <strong class=mw_t_bc> : </strong> an apparatus (as in a telephone exchange) consisting of a panel on which are mounted electric <a class=mw_t_a_link href=/dictionary/switches> switches </a> so arranged that a number of circuits may be connected, combined, and controlled </span> </span></div> </span></div></div></div><span id=anchor-seporator> </span><div class="widget example_sentences examples-module-anchor"id=examples-anchor><h2>Examples of <em> switchboard </em> in a Sentence</h2><script>window.mwHeapEvents['Definition - Has Example Sentences']="true";</script><div class=in-sentences><span class="ex-sent first-child t no-aq sents"> She used to work as a <em class=mw_t_it> switchboard </em> operator. </span></div><div class=no-gap id=example-hr></div><script>window.mwHeapEvents['Definition - Has Henhouse']="true";</script><div class=on-web><span class="ex-header function-label"> Recent Examples on the Web </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=11518959> <span class="t has-aq"> Deborah Conrad, a physician assistant in western New York, and Simmone Leslie, a hospital <em> switchboard </em> operator in Queens, have both worked long, risky hours during the pandemic. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> <em> New York Times </em> , 26 Sep. 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=11518960> <span class="t has-aq"> Deborah Conrad, a physician assistant in western New York, and Simmone Leslie, a hospital <em> switchboard </em> operator in Queens, have both worked long, risky hours during the pandemic. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> <em> BostonGlobe.com </em> , 26 Sep. 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=11411196> <span class="t has-aq"> Old-timey memorabilia on display include a telephone <em> switchboard </em> box from 1910, an 1891 guest register and a set of Prince of Whales China that was used in the Crown Room during the April 7, 1920, visit by Edward, Prince of Whales. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> <em> San Diego Union-Tribune </em> , 10 Sep. 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=10995925> <span class="t has-aq"> To the left was the <em> switchboard </em> , where an unexpected visitor waited. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> Colson Whitehead, <em> The New Yorker </em> , 19 July 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=10889879> <span class="t has-aq"> Lulu visited Anna-Louise at the <em> switchboard </em> every now and then. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> Colson Whitehead, <em> The New Yorker </em> , 19 July 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=10454099> <span class="t has-aq"> But over the past century, researchers have turned the insect — known to science as Drosophila melanogaster — into a sort of genetic <em> switchboard </em> . </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> <em> Star Tribune </em> , 25 Dec. 2020 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=10344215> <span class="t has-aq"> This is quite similar to a lighting designer programming the different changes in the stage lights, known to theater makers as cues, to a <em> switchboard </em> for the light board operator to use during the play. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> Hannah Herrera Greenspan, <em> chicagotribune.com </em> , 12 May 2021 </span> </span> </span><span class="ex-sent sents"data-example-id=10126720> <span class="t has-aq"> In my experience, customers have now come to expect a higher quality of service and are unwilling to accept being passed around an organization’s telephone <em> switchboard </em> indefinitely. </span> <span class="aq has-aq"> — <span class=aq> Inken Kuhlmann-rhinow, <em> Forbes </em> , 10 Mar. 2021 </span> </span> </span><p class=disclaimer>These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'switchboard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. <a href=/contact-us?ref=freshexamples&hw=switchboard&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.merriam-webster.com%2Fdictionary%2Fswitchboard> Send us feedback </a> .</div><span class="widget-button show-expand"href=# id=on-web> <span class=see-text> See More </span> <img class="svg more"src=/images/svg/show-more.svg> <img class="svg less"src=/images/svg/show-less.svg> </span></div><div class="widget firstknown-list"id=first-known-anchor><h2>First Known Use of <em> switchboard </em></h2><p class=ety-sl data-entry-id=1>1873, in the meaning defined <a href=#h1> above </a></div><div class="d-block d-lg-none d-xl-none ads"><p class="text-center disclaimer font-italic">Keep scrolling for more<div class="light-break above-ads"></div><div class="abl mw-ad-slot-top abl-m300-t728-d728 mw-ad-slot-content"></div><div class="light-break below-ads"></div></div><div class="heavy-break learn-more-module-anchor"id=learn-more-anchor></div><div class="widget learn_more"><h2 class=learn-more-header>Learn More About <em> switchboard </em></h2><div class=light-break></div><div class=row id=social-sidebar-container><div class=col-md-6 id=share-anchor><p class=hword2>Share <em> switchboard </em><div class=row><div class=col><a class="fb share-link"data-share-description="an apparatus (as in a telephone exchange) consisting of a panel on which are mounted electric switches so arranged that a number of circuits may be connected, combined, and controlled… See the full definition"data-share-title="Definition of SWITCHBOARD"data-share-image=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/social-media-share/mw-logo-245x245@1x.png data-share-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard href=#> <span class=aria-text> Post the Definition of switchboard to Facebook </span> <img alt=Facebook class=svg src=/images/svg/facebook.svg> </a><a class="twitter share-link"data-share-text="This is the @MerriamWebster definition of 'switchboard'"data-share-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard href=#> <span class=aria-text> Share the Definition of switchboard on Twitter </span> <img alt=Twitter class=svg src=/images/svg/twitter.svg> </a></div></div></div><div class=col-md-6 id=time-traveler-anchor><p class=hword2>Time Traveler for <em> switchboard </em></p><a class=time-traveler href=/time-traveler/1873?src=learn-more-timetraveler> <img alt="Time Traveler"class=svg src=/images/svg/time-traveler.svg> </a><h2 class=hword4>The first known use of <em> switchboard </em> was in 1873</h2><p><a class=see-more href=/time-traveler/1873?src=defrecirc-timetraveler-etycard> See more words from the same year </a></div></div><div class=row id=browse-dictionary><div class=col-md-6 id=near-entries-anchor><h2>Dictionary Entries Near <em> switchboard </em></h2><p><a class=b-link data-ind=4 href=/dictionary/switchblade> switchblade </a><p class=active><span class="b-link hw-text"data-ind=5> switchboard </span><p><a class=b-link data-ind=6 href=/dictionary/switch%20box> switch box </a></p><a class="widget-button hoverable see-more-browse"href=/browse/dictionary/s/135> See More Nearby Entries  <svg class="svg double-arrows"viewbox="0 0 20 20"height=18px version=1.1 width=18px xmlns=http://www.w3.org/2000/svg xmlns:xlink=http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink><g class=Button_DoubleArrow fill=none fill-rule=evenodd stroke=none stroke-width=1><g transform="translate(0.000000, -2.000000)"class=Icon/Button/DoubleArrow fill=#ffffff><path class="outline Oval-2"d="M10,20 C14.418278,20 18,16.418278 18,12 C18,7.581722 14.418278,4 10,4 C5.581722,4 2,7.581722 2,12 C2,16.418278 5.581722,20 10,20 Z M10,22 C4.4771525,22 0,17.5228475 0,12 C0,6.4771525 4.4771525,2 10,2 C15.5228475,2 20,6.4771525 20,12 C20,17.5228475 15.5228475,22 10,22 Z"fill-rule=nonzero></path><path class="logo »"d="M14.5324998,12.5078125 L11.6340623,16.046875 L9.92312479,15.1171875 L12.0949998,12.3984375 L9.92312479,9.6796875 L11.6340623,8.75 L14.5324998,12.3046875 L14.5324998,12.5078125 Z M10.5793748,12.5078125 L7.68093729,16.046875 L5.96999979,15.1171875 L8.14187479,12.3984375 L5.96999979,9.6796875 L7.68093729,8.75 L10.5793748,12.3046875 L10.5793748,12.5078125 Z"></path></g></g></svg> </a></div><div class=col-md-6 id=statistics-anchor><h2>Statistics for <em> switchboard </em></h2><div class=pop-update-wrapper><p class=function-title>Last Updated<p class=update-date>4 Oct 2021<div class=hidden id=popularity-block-wrapper><span class="subheader-sm function-title"> Look-up Popularity </span><p class=popularity-block id=popularity-block></div></div></div><div class=col-md-6 id=cite-anchor><p class=hword2>Cite this Entry<p id=citationText>“Switchboard.” <em> Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary </em> , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard. Accessed 31 Oct. 2021.<div class=custom-select-wrapper><div class=citation-select><div class=custom-select__trigger><span class=custom-select-placeholder> <b> Style: </b> MLA </span><div class=custom-select-arrow></div></div><div class=custom-options><span class="custom-option selected"data-attr="“Switchboard.” <em>Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary</em>, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard. Accessed 31 Oct. 2021."data-value=mla height=16 width=16> MLA <img alt="Check Mark Icon"src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/app-css-images/global/blue-check.svg> </span><span data-attr="<em>Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary</em>, s.v. “switchboard,” accessed October 31, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard."class=custom-option data-value=chicago height=16 width=16> Chicago <img alt="Check Mark Icon"src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/app-css-images/global/blue-check.svg> </span><span data-attr="Merriam-Webster. (n.d.).  Switchboard. In <em>Merriam-Webster.com dictionary</em>. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard"class=custom-option data-value=apa height=16 width=16> APA <img alt="Check Mark Icon"src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/app-css-images/global/blue-check.svg> </span><span data-attr="“switchboard,” <em>Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary</em>, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard. Accessed 10/31/2021."class=custom-option data-value=mw height=16 width=16> Merriam-Webster <img alt="Check Mark Icon"src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/static/app-css-images/global/blue-check.svg> </span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="heavy-break bottom"></div><div id=open-web-comments-widget></div><script>setTimeout(    
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);</script><div class="d-block d-lg-none d-xl-none ads"><p class="text-center disclaimer font-italic">Keep scrolling for more<div class="light-break above-ads"></div><div class="abl mw-ad-slot-top abl-m320-t728-d728 mw-ad-slot-content"></div><div class="light-break below-ads"></div></div><div class=heavy-break></div><div class="widget more_defs"><p class="hword2 more-defs-header"id=more-definitions-anchor>More Definitions for <em> switchboard </em><div class=light-break></div><span id=learnersdictionary-anchor> </span><div id=other-entry-1><div class="row entry-header"><div class=col><p class=hword>switchboard</p><span class=fl> <span class=important-blue-link> noun </span> </span></div></div><div class="row entry-attr"><div class=col><span class=prs> <a class="play-pron hw-play-pron"data-title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"data-dir=s data-file=switch05 data-lang=en_us data-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05 href=/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05> <img alt="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"class=svg src=/images/svg/audio.svg> </a> </span></div></div><div class="row vg-header"><div class=col><h2 class="subheader-md first-learners"data-source=header-learners>English Language Learners Definition of <em> switchboard </em></h2><p class="subheader-md entryNumbers"></div></div><div class=learners-def><div class=vg><div class="sb no-sn"><span class=sb-0> <div class="sense no-subnum"><span class=dt> <span class=dtText> <strong class=mw_t_bc> : </strong> a system used to connect telephone calls with many separate phone lines in a building </span> </span></div> </span></div></div></div><p class=ldLink><a href=http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/switchboard rel=noopener target=_blank> See the full definition for <em> switchboard </em> in the English Language Learners Dictionary </a></div><div class="heavy-break entry"></div><span id=kidsdictionary-anchor> </span><div class="row entry-header"><div class=col-12><p class=hword>switchboard</p><span class=fl>  <span class=important-blue-link> noun </span>  </span></div></div><div class="row entry-attr"><div class=col><span class=word-syllables> switch·​board </span><span class=prs> <span class=syl-break> | </span> <span class=first-slash> \ </span> <span class=pr> ˈswich-ˌbȯrd </span> <a class="play-pron hw-play-pron"data-title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"title="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"data-dir=s data-file=switch05 data-lang=en_us data-url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05 href=/dictionary/switchboard?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=switch05> <img alt="How to pronounce switchboard (audio)"class=svg src=/images/svg/audio.svg> </a> <span class=last-slash> \ </span> </span></div></div><div id=elementary-entry-1><div class="row vg-header"><div class=col><h2>Kids Definition of <em> switchboard </em></h2><p class=entryNumbers></div></div><div class=vg><div class="sb no-sn"><span class=sb-0> <div class="sense no-subnum"><span class=dt> <span class=dtText> <strong class=mw_t_bc> : </strong> a panel for controlling the operation of a number of electric circuits </span> </span></div> </span></div></div></div><div class="heavy-break entry"></div></div><div class="widget more-from"><p class=hword2>More from Merriam-Webster on <em> switchboard </em><p>Nglish: <a href=http://www.nglish.com/spanish/switchboard rel=noopener target=_blank> Translation of <em> switchboard </em> for Spanish Speakers </a><p>Britannica.com: <a href=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/577203/switchboard rel=noopener target=_blank> Encyclopedia article about <em> switchboard </em> </a></div><div style="min-width: 728px; 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Need even more definitions?</div><p class=teaser>Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!</p><a class=subscribe-btn href=https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/subscriber/register/p1?refc=FOOTER_DEF_MWU rel=noopener target=_blank> Merriam-Webster unabridged </a></div></div><div class=additional-content-area><div class="additional-items additional-items-widget"><span class=items__header> Words at Play </span><ul><li><a class=item-card href=/words-at-play/top-10-latin-words-to-live-by> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="red wine being poured into glass"data-ret-pref="red wine being poured into glass-8448-f46bc193eee1366fc6b41f27597e3d1c"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/red wine being poured into glass-8448-f46bc193eee1366fc6b41f27597e3d1c@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/red wine being poured into glass-8448-f46bc193eee1366fc6b41f27597e3d1c@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/red wine being poured into glass-8448-f46bc193eee1366fc6b41f27597e3d1c@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=art-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=article image-id=8448 is_retina=true pair-id=8450 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> “In Vino Veritas” and Other Latin Phrases to Live By </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> Top 10 Latin Phrases </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/words-at-play/the-words-of-the-week-10-29-21> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="october 29 calendar icon"data-ret-pref="october 29 calendar icon-8749-03e4e8ed73932abb5af7d9d5ed03bd8b"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/october 29 calendar icon-8749-03e4e8ed73932abb5af7d9d5ed03bd8b@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/october 29 calendar icon-8749-03e4e8ed73932abb5af7d9d5ed03bd8b@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/october 29 calendar icon-8749-03e4e8ed73932abb5af7d9d5ed03bd8b@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=art-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=article image-id=8749 is_retina=true pair-id=8751 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. 29 </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> From the week ending 10/29/2021 </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/words-at-play/11-words-used-by-edgar-allan-poe> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="raven illustration"data-ret-pref="raven illustration-7803-951725b145b37993039b5521ec635623"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/gallery/gal-global-footer-recirc/raven illustration-7803-951725b145b37993039b5521ec635623@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/gallery/gal-global-footer-recirc/raven illustration-7803-951725b145b37993039b5521ec635623@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/gallery/gal-global-footer-recirc/raven illustration-7803-951725b145b37993039b5521ec635623@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=gal-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=gallery image-id=7803 is_retina=true pair-id=7805 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> 11 Words Used by Edgar Allan Poe </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> The Vocabulary in the Rue Morgue </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="455 new words and definitions"data-ret-pref="455 new words and definitions-8742-2f19b7b6db82ebef35fc794d7c07411c"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/455 new words and definitions-8742-2f19b7b6db82ebef35fc794d7c07411c@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/455 new words and definitions-8742-2f19b7b6db82ebef35fc794d7c07411c@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/article/art-global-footer-recirc/455 new words and definitions-8742-2f19b7b6db82ebef35fc794d7c07411c@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=art-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=article image-id=8742 is_retina=true pair-id=8744 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> We Added New Words to the Dictionary for October 2021 </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> From 'dad bod' to 'deplatform' </span></div> </a></ul></div><div class="additional-items additional-items-widget"><span class=items__header> Ask the Editors </span><ul><li><a class=item-card href=/video/everyday-vs-every-day-difference> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day"data-ret-pref="illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day-8439-073fc0ed2e7d5080af2c34bde05f9827"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day-8439-073fc0ed2e7d5080af2c34bde05f9827@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day-8439-073fc0ed2e7d5080af2c34bde05f9827@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day-8439-073fc0ed2e7d5080af2c34bde05f9827@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=vid-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=video image-id=8439 is_retina=true pair-id=8441 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> 'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day' </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> A simple trick to keep them separate </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/video/what-is-semantic-bleaching> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="semantic bleaching text on white background"data-ret-pref="semantic bleaching text on white background-8440-29f06d6041bc05c2f7dc7e2d78073b64"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/semantic bleaching text on white background-8440-29f06d6041bc05c2f7dc7e2d78073b64@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/semantic bleaching text on white background-8440-29f06d6041bc05c2f7dc7e2d78073b64@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/semantic bleaching text on white background-8440-29f06d6041bc05c2f7dc7e2d78073b64@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=vid-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=video image-id=8440 is_retina=true pair-id=8442 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> How 'literally' can mean "figuratively" </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/video/literally> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="video literally"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-literally-1143@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-literally-1143@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=vid-global-footer-recirc data-ret-pref=video-literally-1143 data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-literally-1143@1x.jpg data-type=video image-id=1143 is_retina=true pair-id=1145 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> Literally </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... </span></div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/video/the-awkward-case-of-his-or-her> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="video his or her"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-his-or-her-1148@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-his-or-her-1148@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=vid-global-footer-recirc data-ret-pref=video-his-or-her-1148 data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-src=https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-global-footer-recirc/video-his-or-her-1148@1x.jpg data-type=video image-id=1148 is_retina=true pair-id=1150 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice? </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> The awkward case of 'his or her' </span></div> </a></ul></div><div class="additional-items additional-items-widget"><span class=items__header> Word Games </span><ul><li><a class=item-card href=/word-games/new-words-quiz-2021> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="an illustration of a stork delivering speech bubbles"data-ret-pref="an illustration of a stork delivering speech bubbles-8747-b382ee0f724d0fe07a6b51ba6f94209e"data-src="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/an illustration of a stork delivering speech bubbles-8747-b382ee0f724d0fe07a6b51ba6f94209e@1x.jpg"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/an illustration of a stork delivering speech bubbles-8747-b382ee0f724d0fe07a6b51ba6f94209e@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/an illustration of a stork delivering speech bubbles-8747-b382ee0f724d0fe07a6b51ba6f94209e@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=quiz-global-footer-recirc data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto data-type=quiz image-id=8747 is_retina=true pair-id=8749 src=data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==> </span> </span><span class=item-title-text> Our Favorite New Words </span><p class=mell-gr235><span> How many do you know? </span><p class=quiz-link>Take the quiz</div> </a><li><a class=item-card href=/word-games/animal-words-quiz> <div class=item-content><span> <span class="lazyload-container ratio-3-2"> <img alt="baby panda"data-srcset="https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/baby-panda-2930-511017339256ae045f863d1fc2f28f4d@1x.jpg 1x, https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/quiz/quiz-global-footer-recirc/baby-panda-2930-511017339256ae045f863d1fc2f28f4d@2x.jpg 2x"class=lazyload data-caption data-credit data-dim=quiz-global-footer-recirc data-ret-pref=baby-panda-2930-511017339256ae045f863d1fc2f28f4d data-ret-x=1 data-sizes=auto 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