Merriam-Webster published the eighth edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary on 28 September 2026 with over 200 new words. It has named 52 of them so far, from SKIBIDI and RIZZ to PWN. We checked all 52 against the North American tournament list. Thirty are new to every North American list, 17 were already legal in tournament play, and five were playable before with another meaning. The table below will be updated as Merriam-Webster names more words.
Merriam-Webster Published the Eighth Edition on 28 September 2026
The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, eighth edition, went on sale on 28 September 2026. Merriam-Webster’s product page describes it as containing over 200 new playable words, including boba, kayfabe, spox, yas and zoomies, plus more than 100,000 playable two- to eight-letter words with variant spellings and coverage of Canadian and British forms. The book appears in three formats (mass-market paperback, trade paperback and hardcover), each 752 pages, and each listed with a 2027 copyright date. Merriam-Webster markets it for school and family use; no country’s tournament body treats it as its official list.
On 2 November 2026 Merriam-Webster published its own guide, “Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 SCRABBLE Dictionary.” Three days later it posted on Instagram that it had added over 200 new words. No full public list of those words had appeared by 13 November 2026.
Headline Additions by Edition
Before 1978, clubs and tournaments relied on Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, which proved unsatisfactory as competitive play grew. The first Official Scrabble Players Dictionary arrived that year.
| Edition | Released | New words | Headline additions |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1978 | Not applicable | The first official word authority for Scrabble clubs |
| Fourth | 2005 | About 4,000 | QI, ZA |
| Fifth | 6 August 2014 | Not stated | DA, GI, PO, TE, and GEOCACHE (chosen in a public vote) |
| Sixth | 24 September 2018 | 300 | OK, EW, ZEN, EMOJI, FACEPALM, QAPIK |
| Seventh | 15 November 2022 | About 500 | YEEHAW, ZOOMER, BAE, DUMPSTER (previously treated as a trademark) |
| Eighth | 28 September 2026 | Over 200 | SKIBIDI, RIZZ, KAIJU, DELULU |
Sources: Merriam-Webster product page, Merriam-Webster Wordplay article, Wikipedia (Official Scrabble Players Dictionary).
Every New Scrabble Word Merriam-Webster Has Named So Far
We took every word Merriam-Webster names on the book’s cover (24 words), in its 2 November Wordplay article (32) and on the product page (5). That produced 52 distinct words. We scored each with standard Scrabble tile values and looked each one up in NASPA’s word database, the official record for North American tournament play, on 13 November 2026. Points shown are face value before premium squares.
A third of the words Merriam-Webster chose to highlight were already legal in tournament play.
| Word | Meaning | Points | Tournament status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABUELA | grandmother | 8 | New |
| BALAYAGE | a technique of hair coloring | 14 | New |
| BAO | a steamed dumpling (NASPA) | 5 | New |
| BLUEWAY | a water route reserved for nonmotorized craft (NASPA) | 15 | In NWL2023 |
| BOBA | a sweet drink of tea, typically with milk and tapioca balls | 8 | New |
| BOOP | a brief light touch, especially on the nose | 8 | New |
| BOUJEE | characterized by a concern for wealth and status | 15 | In NWL2023 |
| BURRATA | mozzarella formed into a ball-shaped casing that contains curds and cream | 9 | New |
| COULDA | could have (NASPA) | 9 | In NWL2023 |
| CRYBULLY | a person who bullies by eliciting sympathy | 18 | New |
| DELULU | delusional | 7 | New |
| EDGELORD | an online agitator | 11 | New |
| ELOTE | grilled corn on the cob coated with a creamy spread | 5 | New |
| FUGAZI | a person or thing posing or passed off as another | 19 | New |
| FUGAZY | a variant spelling of FUGAZI | 22 | New |
| GIRLBOSS | an aspiring successful woman | 11 | New |
| GOTTA | got to (NASPA) | 6 | In NWL2023 |
| HOGLET | a baby hedgehog (NASPA) | 10 | In NWL2023 |
| KAIJU | a giant monster | 16 | New |
| KARAAGE | a Japanese dish of deep-fried marinated meat or fish | 12 | New |
| KAWAII | a cute and lovable quality | 13 | New |
| KAYFABE | a collective pretense of sincerity (NASPA) | 19 | In NWL2023 |
| KONJAC | a perennial plant | 19 | New |
| KONJAK | a variant spelling of KONJAC | 21 (16 at most in play) | New |
| LOC | a ropelike strand of hair | 5 | In NWL2023 (as a verb, “to make into dreadlocks”) |
| MANI | a manicure (NASPA) | 6 | In NWL2023 |
| MID | neither great nor terrible (NASPA) | 6 | Older word, new meaning (MID, “the middle”) |
| NEG | to manipulate with insults | 4 | Older word, new meaning (NEG, “a photographic negative”) |
| NIGIRI | sliced raw seafood | 7 | New |
| OMAKASE | a menu whose dishes are chosen by a chef (NASPA) | 13 | In NWL2023 |
| PARKLET | a small park, or an outdoor seating area beside a public sidewalk | 13 | New |
| PEDI | a pedicure (NASPA) | 7 | In NWL2023 |
| PLUSHIE | a stuffed toy covered in plush (NASPA) | 12 | In NWL2023 |
| PWN | to defeat overwhelmingly | 8 | In NWL2023 |
| RIZZ | to charm or seduce | 22 (12 at most in play) | New |
| SADITTY | arrogant or conceited | 11 | New |
| SEDITTY | a variant spelling of SADITTY | 11 | New |
| SHOULDA | should have (NASPA) | 11 | In NWL2023 |
| SIMP | someone who shows excessive attention or deference toward a love interest (slang) | 8 | Older word, new meaning (SIMP, “a foolish person”) |
| SKIBIDI | used humorously as a nonsensical word | 14 | New |
| SORTA | somewhat (NASPA) | 5 | In NWL2023 |
| SPOX | spokesperson | 13 | New |
| TABATA | a type of high-intensity interval training, usually eight sets of exercises | 8 | New |
| THRIFT | to shop for or buy used goods (verb) | 12 | Older word, new meaning (THRIFT, careful management of money) |
| TRYNA | trying to (NASPA) | 8 | In NWL2023 |
| UNC | an old man | 5 | New |
| WANNA | want to (NASPA) | 8 | In NWL2023 |
| WOULDA | would have (NASPA) | 10 | In NWL2023 |
| YAASS | used to express affirmation | 8 | New |
| YAS | used to express affirmation | 6 | Older word, new meaning (YAS, the plural of YA) |
| YASS | used to express affirmation | 7 | New |
| ZOOMIES | a sudden and brief burst of energetic activity, especially in dogs and cats | 18 | New |
Word statuses checked 13 November 2026.
Sources: NASPA’s word database, Scrabble tile values.
Seventeen Were Already Legal in Tournament Scrabble
NWL2023, the NASPA Word List, has been the official list for North American tournament and club play since 29 February 2024, a leap day. It contains every word in the 2022 seventh edition, plus words the home book leaves out and words of nine letters or more.
Seventeen of the 52 words Merriam-Webster has named were already in NWL2023: BLUEWAY, BOUJEE, COULDA, GOTTA, HOGLET, KAYFABE, LOC, MANI, OMAKASE, PEDI, PLUSHIE, PWN, SHOULDA, SORTA, TRYNA, WANNA and WOULDA. The eighth edition simply brings them into the home dictionary. SORTA has been in North American tournament lists since 2014. PWN entered with NWL2023, so it has been legal in tournaments since 29 February 2024; NASPA’s database defines it as “to dominate.” Merriam-Webster presents the pronunciation spellings (WOULDA, COULDA, SHOULDA, WANNA, TRYNA, SORTA, GOTTA) as “now playable,” yet all seven were already in NWL2023.
Five words were playable before with another meaning, and all five appeared in the sixth edition (2018) as well as NWL2023. MID had meant “the middle”; NWL2023 added the adjective “neither great nor terrible.” NEG had meant “a photographic negative”; the new sense is the verb “to manipulate with insults.” SIMP had meant “a foolish person.” THRIFT had meant careful management of money; the new sense is the verb “to shop for or buy used goods.” YAS had been the plural of YA since the fifth edition (2014); the eighth edition adds the interjection, along with the new forms YASS and YAASS.
The other 30 words, including SKIBIDI, RIZZ, DELULU, UNC, KAIJU, ZOOMIES and BOBA, are not in NWL2023 and are therefore not yet playable in NASPA tournaments or clubs. NASPA hasn’t announced a date that we could find.
Source: Wikipedia (NASPA Word List).
The Best New Words for Your Rack
Vowel-heavy words help clear a rack full of vowels. Merriam-Webster singles out KAIJU (three vowels in five letters), KAWAII (four in six), KARAAGE (four in seven), BALAYAGE (four in eight), NIGIRI (three in six) and BOUJEE (four in six).
Seven-letter words use a whole rack and earn the 50-point bingo bonus. The new seven-letter words are BURRATA, KARAAGE, PARKLET, SADITTY, SEDITTY, SKIBIDI and ZOOMIES. BLUEWAY, KAYFABE, OMAKASE, PLUSHIE and SHOULDA are also seven letters, but they were already in NWL2023. The eight-letter words (BALAYAGE, CRYBULLY, EDGELORD, GIRLBOSS) need a letter already on the board.
PWN is the only one of the 52 without a vowel. Merriam-Webster notes that it joins other playable words such as nth, cwm, hmm, grrrl and tsktsks; all five of those have been playable since at least the fourth or fifth edition. See our list of words with no vowels.
Among the 52, FUGAZY scores the highest face value at 22 without needing a blank. Next come FUGAZI, KONJAC and KAYFABE at 19 each, then CRYBULLY and ZOOMIES at 18. CRYBULLY uses both of the set’s Ys.
Two words run into the one-Z and one-K limits of a standard set. RIZZ needs two Zs, but a set has only one, so one Z must be a blank. Its letters add up to 22; the most it can score is 12 before premium squares. KONJAK needs two Ks; with a blank as one K the maximum is 16. Its variant KONJAC needs no blank and scores 19.
For everyday home play the single most useful new word is probably UNC. It is short, only five points, and clears an awkward U and C without demanding rare letters. ZOOMIES is the standout bingo if you can hold seven letters.
Sources: Merriam-Webster Wordplay article, Will Anderson’s video, Scrabble word lists.
Which Word List Counts Where
- Home and school games: the eighth edition. Merriam-Webster markets the book for family and school play.
- North American tournaments and clubs (NASPA): NWL2023, in effect since 29 February 2024, until NASPA announces a new edition.
- The New York Times’ Crossplay: uses NWL2023, licensed from NASPA. Our Crossplay vs Scrabble post explains the comparison. Eighth-edition-only words such as SKIBIDI will not play there yet.
- Outside the US and Canada: Collins Scrabble Words. The current edition, CSW24, came out in 2024.
BOUJEE reached all three lists by different routes. NASPA had it in NWL2023 from 29 February 2024. Collins added it in CSW24 (its announcement of 14 August 2024 lists BOUJEE, BOUJIER, BOUJIEST and BOUGIE). The home dictionary added it in 2026.
Agree on the book before the first move. A word can be good at a kitchen table and still be challenged off a club board.
Sources: Collins 2024 announcement.
Words Players Say Are in the Book
These three words appear in Wikipedia’s entry on the dictionary but have not been named by Merriam-Webster in its article, on its product page or on the cover. Treat them as reported, not confirmed.
POG, JAWN and YINZ are the three. JAWN is Philadelphia’s all-purpose noun for a thing, a person or a situation. YINZ is a regional pronoun used in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, meaning “you,” usually when talking to two or more people. None of the three is in NWL2023.
Sources: Merriam-Webster’s jawn article, Merriam-Webster’s yinz slang page.
More Scrabble News From 2026
Netflix’s Scrabble Shake-Up arrives on Netflix Games on TV on Tuesday 17 November 2026, alongside Scattergories Party. Netflix describes it as a fast-paced remix in which everyone plays at the same time, with a new twist each turn, using a phone as the controller. Netflix has not said which word list it uses.
In September 2026 Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words and definitions to Merriam-Webster.com, including vibe coding, yacht rock, parasocial and Mandela Effect. That update is to the online dictionary and is separate from the Scrabble dictionary. Some coverage blurred the two.
On 8 October 2026 Zynga announced that Words With Friends now has over 25,000 newly playable words. Our post on Words With Friends’ new words covers the change.
Sources: What’s on Netflix, Merriam-Webster’s September article.
How to Check a Word Before You Play It
At home the eighth edition itself is the authority. In a NASPA club or tournament, NASPA’s list is the authority, and NASPA’s word database is the place to check. Our Scrabble Word Finder helps with everyday racks and established words.
We will update the table, and its date, as Merriam-Webster names more words and when NASPA announces its next list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new Scrabble words for 2026?
The eighth edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, published on 28 September 2026, adds over 200 new playable words, according to Merriam-Webster. It has named 52, including SKIBIDI, RIZZ, DELULU, PWN, KAIJU, BOBA and ZOOMIES. We couldn’t find a full list from Merriam-Webster as of 13 November 2026.
Can you play the new Scrabble words in tournaments?
Not yet in North America, for most of them. NASPA tournaments and clubs use NWL2023, in effect since 29 February 2024. Seventeen of the 52 named words were already in it, including PWN, KAYFABE and BOUJEE; SKIBIDI, RIZZ and UNC are not.
Which Scrabble dictionary should I use?
At home, the eighth edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. In North American tournaments and clubs, the NASPA Word List, currently NWL2023. Outside the US and Canada, Collins Scrabble Words. Agree on one before the first move.
Is rizz a Scrabble word?
Yes, in the eighth edition, where it means “to charm or seduce”. It isn’t in NWL2023, so it isn’t valid in NASPA tournaments yet. RIZZ needs two Zs and a set has one, so you need a blank for the second Z.
Is skibidi a Scrabble word?
Yes, in the eighth edition; Merriam-Webster defines it as “used humorously as a nonsensical word”. It has seven letters, so playing all seven from your rack earns the 50-point bingo bonus. It isn’t in NWL2023.
Is mid a Scrabble word?
Yes, and it has been for decades as a noun meaning “the middle”; NASPA’s database lists it in every edition back to the fourth (2005). The slang adjective, “neither great nor terrible”, entered NWL2023 and appears on the eighth edition’s cover.
Is yas a Scrabble word?
Yes. YAS was already playable as the plural of YA, in the dictionary since the fifth edition (2014). The eighth edition adds YAS as an interjection used to express affirmation, along with YASS and YAASS, which are new.
Is unc a Scrabble word?
Yes, in the eighth edition, where it means “an old man”. It isn’t in NWL2023, so it isn’t valid in NASPA tournaments yet. It is worth 5 points.
