'Dungeon crawler' enters the Merriam-Webster dictionary alongside 'touch grass' and 200 other new words and phrases

Games’Dungeon crawler' enters the Merriam-Webster dictionary alongside ‘touch grass’ and 200 other new words and phrasesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: JGI/Jamie Grill via Getty Images)

A hand pointing at an entry in an open dictionary.

Earlier today, Merriam-Webster announced that it’d added200 new words and phrasesto its online dictionary in its latest effort to maintain relevance in the arms race against the ever-changing English language. We can only guess at what arcane metrics and procedures Merriam-Webster follows to determine when and why a term is worthy of entering its record, but I do know this: “dungeon crawler” is in there now, and that’s pretty neat.

“Our lexicographers monitor a huge range of sources to select which words and definitions to add,” said Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large for Merriam-Webster. “From academic journals to social media, these give us a very thorough view of the English language.”

I don’t envy Merriam-Webster’s task, given how quickly terms and phrases can be swept up in the maelstrom currents of our digital hellscape until they spill out into common parlance. The dictionary made a pretty quick turnaround on “touch grass,” though. You’ll probably want a screenshot of that one. I’m sure it’ll get plenty of use.

I am, of course, left wondering what videogame terms will hit the dictionary next. “FPS” and “MMORPG” have already gotten the Merriam-Webster treatment; if dungeon crawlers made it in, “roguelike” seems like a logical next step. Maybe a dictionary will be brave enough to tackle “immersive sim” or “Metroidvania” so we can finally put those arguments to bed.

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