Flack - plus, check out our trending words

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [April 7, 2017](#none) flack [Audio pronunciation]( verb | FLACK Definition : to provide publicity : engage in [press-agentry]( Scroll down for more about flack WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Liar, Liar Quiz]( Test your knowledge of words for lies, liars, and those being lied to. In other words, everyone. [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Plus: [SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW! [>]]( Did You Know? The verb flack comes from a noun flack: during the late 1930s, [flack]( came to be used as a name for a press agent. According to one rumor, the word was coined in tribute to a well-known movie publicist of the time, Gene Flack. Another rumor holds that it derives from a similar-sounding Yiddish word for someone who talks about someone else's affairs. The editors of Merriam-Webster dictionaries remain skeptical about these claims and have listed the etymology of flack as "unknown." You may also be familiar with another [flack](—a noun meaning "criticism" or "opposition." This unrelated homograph stems from a misspelling of [flak](, a German acronym and English word for antiaircraft guns. Examples of FLACK The singer spent two weeks on the talk-show circuit, flacking for her new memoir. "Celebrity endorsements for soda have been around for years.… More recently, Taylor Swift (Diet Coke), Beyonce (Pepsi) and Steve Harvey (Coke again) have flacked for soda." — Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, The Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA), 18 Sept. 2015 Test Your Vocabulary Fill in the blanks to complete a verb that can mean "to favor strongly" or "to drop suddenly or heavily": _ l _ m _. [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( WEBBY AWARDS Help Us Win a Webby! We’re thrilled to be a finalist in the Webby Awards for Best Writing and Education & Discovery! Please vote for us and show that words matter. [VOTE HERE [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](