Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23

Gen Z and Alpha Replace “Google It” With “Search It Up” as 2024 Dictionary Entry Marks Shift

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23

Gen Z and Alpha Replace “Google It” With “Search It Up” as 2024 Dictionary Entry Marks Shift

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23

Gen Z and Alpha are increasingly saying “search it up” instead of “Google it,” with younger speakers describing the older phrase as dated.
2024 brought formal recognition when Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary added “search up,” reflecting a usage shift already common among children and teens.
Examples in the report include an 11-year-old who said she uses the phrase exclusively and has never heard friends say “I Googled it.”
The change also weakens Google’s hold as the default verb for online lookup, even though “to Google” entered major dictionaries in 2006 after spreading in the early internet era.
The broader trend suggests internet language is moving away from brand-based verbs toward a more generic term for searching online.

Sources

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