By

Emily Mae Czachor

News Editor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and climate. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

Read Full Bio

October 26, 2026 / 8:17 AM EDT / CBS News

Add CBS News on Google

From AI chatbots to lifestyle trends, the concept of optimizing one's life came sharply into focus in 2026. That's why Dictionary.com picked "maxxing," a reflection of our increasingly online society, as its latest Word of the Year.

"Maxxing (sometimes -maxxing ) is short for 'maximizing,'" says Dictionary.com.…