word game

American

noun

any game or contest involving skill in using, forming, guessing, or changing words or expressions, such as anagrams or Scrabble.

word game British

noun

any game involving the formation, discovery, or alteration of a word or words

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Guthrie previously noted how the word game had been a point of connection between her and her mother, who is still missing.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Fox News played the same word game, with Lara Trump saying women can continue “having independent pursuits of their own” while also having a family — which happens to be what feminism has always advocated.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

“Tonight” host Jimmy Fallon is producing a pilot based on the popular New York Times word game.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

The word game he then created, called Wordle, based on his last name, became a smash hit in 2022.

From Scientific American • Apr. 28, 2023

“They’re anagrams. Someone’s playing a word game, but they’re playing it with real banks and real money. The question we need to ask ourselves is who’s playing the game.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023