Merriam-Webster marked the Fourth of July with a pointed social media post targeting the United Kingdom, referencing the differing spellings of the word "canceled." The U.S. dictionary publisher posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Why is it ‘cancelled’ in the U.K. but ‘canceled’ in the U.S.? Because we gave them that L in 1776."
The post, which alluded to the American Revolutionary War victory over Great Britain, garnered over 12 million views and thousands of replies. Many users on the platform expressed amusement and support for the dictionary's patriotic message. Some commenters jokingly questioned what the Oxford English Dictionary might say in response.
In a subsequent post, Merriam-Webster clarified that both spellings are considered acceptable. The publisher shared historical context, noting that Noah Webster's 1806 dictionary featured the spelling "cancelled," while his 1828 edition used "canceled."