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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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‘Beast mode’ to ‘teraflop’: 10 words from the Merriam-Webster dictionary update

This image released by Merriam-Webster shows a copy of the 12th edition of the "Collegiate Dictionary." (Merriam-Webster via AP)
This image released by Merriam-Webster shows a copy of the 12th edition of the "Collegiate Dictionary." (Merriam-Webster via AP) This image released by Merriam-Webster shows a copy of the 12th edition of the "Collegiate Dictionary." (Merriam-Webster via AP)


NEW YORK (AP) — Merriam-Webster on Thursday announced a major overhaul of its popular “Collegiate” dictionary. The company has added more than 5,000 terms. Here’s a few of them with definitions — and some usage examples of our own.

Beast mode

DEFINITION: An extremely aggressive or energetic style or manner that someone adopts temporarily to overpower an opponent in a fight or competition.

EXAMPLE: He needed to go beast mode to crush the hot dog eating contest.