Sites that created Wordle archives have been pressured by the New York Times to shut down. That means there's no longer any way to access the full archive, but we’ve provided a list of the past 20 Wordle answers for you to see what words have already been used, and plan your strategy going forward.
The free daily word game Wordle blew up in popularity at the start of 2022 despite not having an app and only allowing players to tackle one puzzle per day. Both were intentional choices, as Wordle founder Josh Wardle told the BBC, so fans couldn't spend too much time on it. As such, previous puzzles aren't available through the official website.
"Wordle is very simple and you can play it in three minutes — and that is all you get," Wardle said in his BBC interview. "There are also no ads and I am not doing anything with your data — and that is also quite deliberate."
What is today's Wordle?
You can find clues and the answer for each day's Wordle right here. December 22's hints and solution are available now.
Why was the Wordle Archive shut down?
Since the acquisition, the NYT has moved to safeguard what is now its wholly owned intellectual property by placing pressure on Wordle affiliates to shut down their "unauthorized" recreations of the game's earlier daily puzzles, starting with the Wordle Archive in March. By the beginning of June, all of the best-known ways to play Wordle outside of the NYT website were gone, including the game's original, pre-acquisition home.
While there's no guarantee that the game will remain freely available for non-NYT subscribers to access, it hasn't slipped behind the paywall yet. It's also unknown whether the NYT will one day build an archive of its own so that players can play through old Wordle puzzles.
Here are the best starting words to step up your Wordle game today
12 of the best 'Wordle' clones, because one word a day isn't enough
Past Wordle answers (and their meanings)
Updated daily — may contain spoilers for the latest puzzle!
Wordle #532: TORSO - The trunk of the body, from which extend the limbs and neck/head.
Wordle #533: ADORE - To love deeply or passionately.
Wordle #534: WOKEN - Roused from sleep, became conscious.
Wordle #535: AMBER - A hard substance made from fossilised resin.
Wordle #536: JOUST - A medieval-era horseback fighting style with lances.
Wordle #537: INFER - To deduce based on clues, context, or incomplete information.
Wordle #538: BRAID - Threads or hair woven into an interlaced strand, often decorative.
Wordle #539: KNOCK - To collide with and dislodge an object, or to loudly strike it.
Wordle #540: NAIVE - Lacking in experience, wisdom or judgement.
Wordle #541: APPLY - To operate a motor vehicle such as a car, bus, or truck.
Wordle #542: SPOKE - Past tense of "speak", or the bars connecting the centre of a wheel to its outer edge.
Wordle #543: USUAL - Habitual or typical.
Wordle #544: RIVAL - A competitor or equal in one's field.
Wordle #545: PROBE - To investigate or physically examine, or a long, blunt surgical instrument.
Wordle #546: CHORD - Several notes, usually three, played together in harmony.
Wordle #547: TAPER - To become slimmer at one end; a long, thin candle.
Wordle #548: SLATE - A dark, grey or bluish rock that splits easily into fine, flat pieces.
Wordle #549: THIRD - Between second and fourth; one portion of something divided in three.
Wordle #550: LUNAR - On or pertaining to the Moon.
Wordle #551: EXCEL - To be exceptionally good at or proficient in something.
Best Wordle starting words
We have some ideas to help you pick the perfect first move (or as close to perfect as you can get without just magically guessing the exact right word). Such tips include choosing a word with at least two different vowels in it, plus a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N.
Wordle alternatives
Thousands of people around the globe now play Wordle each day, and fans have even created alternatives inspired by the original format. This includes music identification game Heardle, Hollywood nerd faves Actorle and Framed, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
