@lifeinthePNW
Leave it to the NYT not to know the difference between a word and an acronym.
I sent them an email about this. I wonder if anyone will respond.

@Jeber @lifeinthePNW my understanding is that when they bought the game no words were added to the dictionary but a few words were removed because they were not common. That being said, it is an acronym but I think it’s commonly enough used as a word. I guess it’s a matter of opinion though. 🤷🏼‍♀️

@REDonaldAuthor
Since you've studied in the field I'll accept that using an acronym as a word makes it a word. Does that mean that NASA and FUBAR, for example, are also words? Does that only apply to acronyms that are pronounceable, so that NRA or CIA would not fall into that category?
I enjoy learning more about the language I use, so I appreciate your input.

@Jeber Snafu is actually used as a word, without caps, so I suspect a lot of people use it without knowing where it came from or what the letters stand for. Same as radar, which stands for Radio Detection and Ranging but nobody calls it an acronym any more. It’s just a word. Words become words through usage because languages are living things and change constantly (except a dead language like Latin, of course).
😁

@REDonaldAuthor
Good points. I do believe language should be fluid and evolve. You’d think that having worked with radar in the Army I would have thought of that.

@REDonaldAuthor
Another question. If I use an acronym as a word in the past tense, how does that work? Using FUBAR as an example, if I say, "That project sure was FUBARed" that doesn't seem correct. The "ed" ending isn't a part of the acronym. So there are mixed elements there.
I can already tell I'm going to regret having wandered down this rabbit hole.