| GOBLINMODE | Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Year in 2022, describing an unapologetically self-indulgent state |
| SORRYNOTSORRY | Unapologetically unapologetic statement |
| NAP | Unapologetically overlooked raised threads on fabric surface |
| USAGES | Release gas unapologetically, somewhat up-ending conventions (6) |
| AARONJUDGE | New York Yankees outfielder who was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 2022: 2 wds. |
| SALAH | Mohamed, Egyptian footballer named the PFA Player's Player of the Year in 2022 (5) |
| JASONBATEMAN | "Game Night" actor who was Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year in 2022: 2 wds. |
| AARON | Slugger Judge who was AP Athlete of the Year in 2022 |
| JONIMITCHELL | Both Sides Now singer who was MusiCares Person of the Year in 2022: 2 wds. |
| IGASWIATEK | Polish tennis player who won WTA Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023: 2 wds. |
| GIF | Oxford American Dictionary's 2012 word of the year, and the key to this puzzle's theme |
| JOY | "Face With Tears of ___" (non-word that was named Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year in 2015) |
| MURRAY | Sir James -; depicted in The Professor and the Madman, an early editor of what became the Oxford English Dictionary (6) |
| MADMAN | "The Professor and the ___" (Simon Winchester book about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary) |
| GASLIGHTING | M-W's 2022 Word of the Year: "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone" |
| BRAINROT | 2024 Word of the Year, per Collins Dictionary (just the shaded squares) or Oxford (the entire entry) |
| PROFESSOR | Mel Gibson plays Oxford English Dictionary compiler James Murray in the biopic, The _ and the Madman (9) |
| EMOJI | The Oxford Dictionaries 2015 "Word" of the Year is one |
| POSTTRUTH | Political term that was the Oxford Dictionaries' 2016 Word of the Year |
| SELFIE | Picture type that Oxford Dictionaries named its "Word of the Year" in 2013 |
