The search engine’s definitions have been replaced with AI Overviews.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Google appears to be running into some hiccups after the company began rolling out its updated, and even more AI-focused search experience at I/O 2026. Currently, searching for the words „disregard,“ „stop“ or „ignore“ on Google no longer displays a snippet with a definition, and instead offers an AI Overview and a lot of blank space. Because users have complained about the issue on social media, and publications like TechCrunch and Macrumors have reported on it, even if you don’t get a definition, you might still get a collection of links to articles documenting the issue before the traditional list of links.
Multiple members of Engadget’s staff were able to recreate the strange AI Overview responses with their own personal Google searches. In Incognito Mode, Google responded correctly once by displaying its usual snippet with the definition, and failed a second time by once again responding with an AI Overview. Links to online dictionaries still appear under these incorrect results, but you have to scroll past an AI Overview or a grid of articles to actually get to them.
Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget
Engadget contacted Google for more information. The company responded acknowledging the issue and said a fix was incoming: „We’re aware that AI Overviews are misinterpreting some action-related queries, and we’re working on a fix, which will roll out soon,“ a spokesperson said.
In the grand scheme of things, Google not automatically displaying a definition isn’t as bad as recommending people put glue on pizza, one of the issues the company dealt with when it first launched AI Overviews. It might even be good for Merriam-Webster’s web traffic. What the issue does highlight is the awkward transition Google is currently undergoing, as it moves from the ultimate referrer of other websites into all-in-one AI assistant.
Update, May 22 2026, 5:45PM ET: This story was modified after publish to include a statement from a Google spokesperson on the issue.
Ref: https://www.engadget.com/2179762/google-is-currently-struggling-to-define-words-like-disregard-stop-and-ignore/
