example E₁X₈A₁M₃P₃L₁E₁

EXAMPLE is a familiar seven-letter noun with several connected uses: it can stand for a typical member of a group, illustrate a rule, or describe a model to imitate. It also has a less familiar sense: a person punished to warn others. Its everyday meaning makes the word easy to recognize, while the X gives it a surprisingly strong tile score.

EXAMPLE at a glance

• EXAMPLE has seven letters and scores 18 points before board bonuses.
• Its only listed anagram is EXEMPLA, a different-looking word made from the same letters.
• EXEMPLE is its sole one-letter neighbour, changing just the A to E.
• People, objects, and actions can all serve as examples of a larger category.

What does EXAMPLE mean?

An example is a representative instance: a robin is an example of a bird, and a sample sentence can demonstrate a grammar rule. The word also describes conduct offered as a model. Someone who sets a good example gives others behaviour worth copying; a bad example shows what to avoid.

A less everyday definition refers to punishment intended as a warning. That sense appears in the phrase “make an example of someone.” Context tells you whether example means an illustration, a model to follow, or a warning. It is a common word, but its uses are not interchangeable.

How does EXAMPLE score 18 Scrabble points?

The X is the scoring engine: it contributes 8 points, while M and P add 3 each. The two E tiles, A, and L contribute 1 apiece, bringing the face-value total to 18. A premium square can raise the play, but the base score already makes EXAMPLE a hefty word.

EXEMPLA is the only anagram and EXEMPLE the only one-letter neighbour, yet the twelve rhymes include familiar words such as PEOPLE, SIMPLE, APPLE, and SAMPLE. Check your game’s word list before playing an unusual relative.