Dictionary.com Burns ‘Jeopardy!’, Mike Richards to a Crisp in Scathing Tweet

The dictionary has entered the Mike Richards Jeopardy! host conversation. Shortly before the game show’s replacement host announced he would step down as Alex Trebek‘s replacement following a scandal over offensive comments he previously made, Dictionary.com sent some not-so-subtle shade his way with a laser-focused tweet.

Known for commenting on current events using its “word of the day,” Dictionary.com fittingly chose “jeopardy” to define, using as its example sentence, “My job is in jeopardy because of my past comments.” People in the replies didn’t miss the thinly-veiled reference, with one person commenting, “I love the pettiness.” Another chimed in, “Dictionary casts a looonnnnggg shadow.”

Richards stepped back from his role as host after The Ringer‘s Claire McNear exposed comments he made on a podcast that were disparaging towards little people, Jews, people receiving unemployment benefits and women. Two days later, Richards released a memo to Jeopardy! staff announcing he would no longer be replacing Trebek, although it did indicate he would remain as executive producer.

“It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,” he said. He continued that Sony “will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host. In the meantime, we will be bringing back guest hosts to continue production for the new season, details of which will be announced next week.”

“I want to apologize to each of you for the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy! over the last few weeks and for the confusion and delays this is now causing,” he continued. “I know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust and confidence.” The show will air the episodes Richards already taped as scheduled before returning to guest hosts while looking for Trebek’s permanent replacement. When the report first surfaced about what Richards had said, he took down the podcast episodes, saying in a statement that his “attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable.”