How do you spelling “winning”? US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster brutally roasted the redcoats in a patriotic post taking aim at the United Kingdom to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
“Why is it ‘cancelled’ in the U.K. but ‘canceled’ in the U.S.?” the nation’s oldest dictionary publisher wrote on X.
“Because we gave them that L in 1776.”
The post had garnered more than 12 million views and over 2,400 replies as of Saturday morning — with many cheering the Independence Day smackdown.
Why is it ‘cancelled’ in the U.K. but ‘canceled’ in the U.S.? Because we gave them that L in 1776.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) July 3, 2026
“Solid burn from the dictionary!!!” one wrote.
“Imagine getting roasted by a book of words. The disrespect is off the charts,” another added.
“I wonder what the Oxford dictionary is going to say about this,” a third chimed in, referencing the UK dictionary publisher.
In a follow-up post, Merriam-Webster admitted that both spellings are acceptable, while sharing a bit of history on the two variations.
“FWIW Noah Webster’s 1806 dictionary has ‘cancelled’, but in his 1828 edition the word is spelled as ‘canceled,” the post read.
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