# "Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 24, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604 "2021-12-24T21:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 343
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6841 "2022-10-20T14:54:51Z")
A lucky 3 for me today. Wordle 488 3/6\* πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE CHIEF DENIM Like @psychobunny, I nearly went with PENIS but then reasoned the same that it was probably not a Wordle word. DENIM was just the first word I hit on that placed the E and I where they were, and it turned out to be the correct word. According to WordleBot, there were 14 other possible solutions when I picked DENIM, so lucky for me I thought of none of them. Some days are nice like that. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6842 "2022-10-20T15:00:49Z")
Wordle 488 2/6 β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¦β¬›πŸŸ§ 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 OPIUM DENIM I think it’s fair to say I actually earned this two. I racked my brain trying to come up with another word ending in M with an I in it. Came very close to giving up and putting down a test word, but I resisted until DENIM finally came to me. Perseverance pays off! Turns out my other possible choices were MAXIM and CLAIM, so I’ll admit there was a _little_ luck involved. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6843 "2022-10-20T15:07:23Z")
Mine’s worn, but not tired. πŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6844 "2022-10-20T15:08:28Z")
There should be an β€˜opium den’ joke in here, but I can’t quite find it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6845 "2022-10-20T15:14:12Z")
Still stuck in the four rut. Wordle 488 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 POISE EIDER BIPED DENIM ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6846 "2022-10-20T17:00:33Z")
Between various nuisancy things through the night, I got about 3.5 hours of sleep, and it wasn’t good sleep, either. β€œ_Tired_” was really on my mind this morning. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6847 "2022-10-20T18:06:46Z")
I feel your pain. I got a good night’s sleep last night, thank goodness, but I’ve been having more than my share lately of nights like yours. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6848 "2022-10-20T22:14:49Z")
Wordle 488 4/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Adieu Sidle Fetid Denim Retrograde botched ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6849 "2022-10-20T23:51:30Z")
Wordle 488 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨🟩🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STERN NEIGH FENCE VENAL DENIM After guess 3 (for which I foolishly forgot I had an I), it was a slog through the alphabet to find something not yet guessed, with no R, S, or T, an E in second position, and an I and an N. β€œVENAL” seemed like it must be right (as I’d again forgotten that I!)β€”but no. So it was back to the top of the alphabet again; I realized that my trip through D the first time had missed DENIM. Not my most enjoyable day with Wordle by a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6850 "2022-10-21T00:16:09Z")
> **Wordle 488 5/6\* 10/20/2022** > > ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ > ⬜⬜⬜🟩🟨 > ⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜ > ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > QU_I_RK β†’ Starting off with a cyclops - one I. Though a misnomer, because not in the middle. So, common letters… > STA **I** _N_ β†’ Hit on the N, and placed the I. So where does the N go? > CY **NI** C β†’ I placed the N, but otherwise this was pretty much a wasted guess. A little early to be guessing repeats… so naturally I did it with the next guess too > G **ENI** E β†’ My first thought after this was a little phallocentric - plus, I had already guessed the S. So, hunt through remaining consonants to find… > **DENIM** > > Broke a nice streak of 3s I had going. ---
**Author:** ![SeaSun](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seasun/32/14820_2.png) [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6851 "2022-10-21T00:42:58Z")
**Wordle 488 2/6** 🟨⬜🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 MANOR DENIM Quick-n-easy 2! With the M not being first, and N in 3rd spot, the M had to go last, and I could only see one word it could be from there. πŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6852 "2022-10-21T04:15:53Z")
Wordle 489 5/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO GROWL GROUP GROOM GROVE ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6853 "2022-10-21T04:55:08Z")
Wordle 489 5/6 β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CROPS LEMON ERODE BEGAT GROVE Played this one like a rank amateur. After 1 I was thick with options; broom, broil, droll, drown, grown, groom, etc… So I immediately abandoned hard mode and went with lemon to just narrow it down. Then foolishly tried to guess for the win once I saw erode; I should have kept looking. Because when that wasn’t it I had to do a third research word to distinguish between trove, grove and broke. This 5 was a struggle. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6854 "2022-10-21T07:12:17Z")
Wordle 489 5/6 πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS DUMPY WHACK {G F B Z V X J Q} GROVE After the four standard words I thought I had enough to guess it. My fifth standard word would’ve been BEFOG, but I didn’t need it. After a few minutes I saw it β€” GROVE!! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6855 "2022-10-21T07:41:23Z")
Three 5s to start us off, ouch. Who will be the first to use fewer than 5 guesses for Wordle 489? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6856 "2022-10-21T09:42:28Z")
Wordle 489 3/6\* ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD GRIME GROVE ← very nearly went with GROPE ! Another quick 3 !! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6857 "2022-10-21T11:53:43Z")
It helps to remember to NOT use letters that have been eliminated. Wordle 489 6/6\* ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩 🟩⬜⬜🟨🟩 🟩🟨🟨⬜🟩 🟩🟨🟨⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 NICHE BEIGE GLARE GORGE GORSE GROVE ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6858 "2022-10-21T11:59:13Z")
Wordle 489 3/6 SLANT CH **O** _R_ **E** **GROVE** After guess 2, I saw BROKE and DROVE before GROVE, and then I thought about the past tense in Wordle: it doesn’t show up much. So I eyeballed the nearly 500 solutions so far, and there seemed to be exactly zero instances of a verb that was five letters both in the present and past tenses showing up in the past tense. There were a couple of oddballs like UNMET and UNFED, and there was FOUND, and that was about it for the past tense here. So that’s why I went with GROVE over DROVE and BROKE. (Also it would have eliminated one of the other two, but so would DROVE.) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6859 "2022-10-21T11:59:54Z")
Wordle 489 4/6 ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART SIREN WRECK GROVE ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/6860 "2022-10-21T12:07:12Z")
Wordle 489 4/6 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE PIVOT - searching for letters, found two DROVE - before grove GROVE [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=342) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=344)