Please state in which country your phrase tends to be used, what the phrase is, and what it should be.
Example:
In America, recently came across “back-petal”, instead of back-pedal. Also, still hearing “for all intensive purposes” instead of “for all intents and purposes”.
I didn’t know what Merriam Webster is smoking, but the word fortis, forte derives from the Latin word for strength.
Remember, Noah Webster fucked English for America, and then somehow they made a dictionary to keep fucking it. Just exclude it from any kind of discussion.
And, keep in mind, what’s popular has no bearing on what’s right. America has a chequered past with doing the wrong thing in great numbers.