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

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word game

He tries to spend 60 uninterrupted minutes a day with his sons; when he tucks the eldest into bed, they play a word game and then pray.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

This week, Sir Keir Starmer faced a fight to remain as UK prime minister, US President Donald Trump visited China, and a primetime TV version of popular online word game Wordle was announced.

From BBC ● May 14, 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

“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