Wordplay Vocabulary

noun a type of wordplay where a phrase can be understood in two ways

• The author cleverly used a double entendre to add depth to the dialogue in the play.
• I love it when movies have a double entendre - it's like a hidden joke for adults.
• That song is full of double entendres, it's so cheeky!
• Her smile was like a double entendre, hiding a deeper meaning behind its surface charm.

noun a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward as forward

• A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of characters that reads the same forward and backward.
• I love finding palindromes like 'racecar' that read the same forwards and backwards.
• Palindromes are so cool - they're like words that are the same even when you flip them around!
• In life, sometimes things come full circle and feel like a palindrome - starting and ending in the same way.

noun a word or phrase that has a double meaning or that is used in a humorous way

preposition used before 'words' to show that the words are being used in a playful or clever manner

• The author's clever play on words added depth to the novel.
• I love it when comedians use a play on words to make jokes.
• That meme was hilarious because of the play on words it used.
• His arguments were full of play on words, making it hard to distinguish the truth.

noun a play on words that produces a humorous effect by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words with different meanings

• The comedian's clever puns had the audience in stitches.
• I love it when you make puns, they always make me laugh.
• That pun was so corny, but I couldn't help but chuckle.
• His puns were like little puzzles, waiting to be solved.

noun a person who makes puns or plays on words

• The punster at the comedy club always had the audience in stitches with his clever wordplay.
• My friend is such a punster, he can turn any situation into a joke.
• The punster in our group is always cracking jokes and making us laugh.
• She is a punster when it comes to teasing her siblings, always finding a witty comeback.

noun a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning, typically presented as a game

verb to speak in or pose riddles; to solve a riddle

• The detective pondered over the mysterious riddle left at the crime scene.
• Hey, can you help me solve this tricky riddle I found online?
• That riddle was so mind-boggling, I couldn't figure it out for hours!
• Life is like a riddle, full of twists and turns that we must unravel to find the answers.

noun a word or phrase that spells a different word or phrase backward

adjective describing a word or phrase that has a different meaning when spelled backward

• The term 'semordnilap' refers to words that spell different words backward.
• I just learned about semordnilaps - they're words that read differently backward!
• Semordnilaps are like word puzzles - they spell a different word when read backward.
• Life is full of semordnilaps, where things may appear one way at first but reveal a different meaning later on.

noun a word that is the opposite of another word in meaning, but sounds the same or similar

• The linguist explained the concept of phantonyms during the seminar.
• I just learned about phantonyms in my English class.
• I'm so confused by these phantonyms, they make no sense to me.
• The idea of phantonyms haunted her dreams, causing confusion and disorientation.

noun a word or phrase that is spelled with the first letter of each line in a poem or other text

adjective relating to or being a word or phrase that is spelled with the first letter of each line in a poem or other text

• The professor's lecture was so acromonogrammatic that only a few students could understand it.
• I tried to read that acromonogrammatic article, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
• That acromonogrammatic book is a real brain-buster.
• Her handwriting was so acromonogrammatic that it looked like a secret code.

adjective describing something related to or characteristic of acrostics

adverb in a manner that involves composing or reading acrostics

• The poet constructed the poem acrostically, with each line spelling out a hidden message.
• I tried writing my name acrostically in my notebook, but it didn't turn out as neat as I hoped.
• She acrostically roasted her ex-boyfriend in her latest Instagram post.
• The artist acrostically embedded her emotions into the painting, creating a masterpiece filled with hidden meanings.