After the initial Wordle frenzy began to subside somewhat, some power-users started searching for weirder and more challenging spin-offs.Meyer didn’t immediately disclose the exact dollar value of the sale, but it comes roughly a year after The New York Times purchased the original Wordle for a reportedly low-seven-figure sum.The idea there was for the media platform to grow out its games section, an increasingly lucrative part of its business, even if it didn’t immediately stick Wordle behind a paywall.Merriam-Webster, which is actually owned by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., itself controlled by the Swiss investment banker Jacqui Safra, appears to be interested in a similar play.As PC Gamer points out, the dictionary company turned online reference depot already sports a number of other puzzle games, brain teasers, and knowledge tests.It’s probably a better reason to visit the site than hunting for a word’s meaning or a synonym that Google will serve you up instantly from competitor Oxford English Dictionary.