# "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:** 390
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7781 "2022-12-08T18:26:05Z")
> **Wordle 537 4/6\* 12/8/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ > ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟨 > ⬜🟨🟨🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > JOUST → Clean whiff. At least it KOs S, T and two vowels. Let’s try 3 remaining vowels… > AL_I_ **E** _N_ → Good guess! That IN should go well together, but I can’t work an H in. try something with an R… > D_IN_ **ER** → Must be IN?ER, but not INNER, or so I would… > **INFER** > > Fun play. A 3 might have been possible, but it would have been a stretch. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7782 "2022-12-08T23:03:39Z")
No Wordle for me today. Union members at the Times are striking and asked that people not use any NYT content. My streak wasn’t all that long, so I don’t care that I’m resetting it. I will miss figuring it out, though. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7783 "2022-12-09T05:14:12Z")
Wordle 537 3/6\* L_E_AST B_I_OM_E_ **INFER** I felt really lucky to get it in 3 especially since according to WordleBot there were still 20 possible solutions after my 2nd guess. And @Morgyn I’d forgotten all about the strike. Is the union asking us to continue avoiding NYT content on Friday? My streak isn’t long either so I’m OK with breaking it. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7784 "2022-12-09T05:20:41Z")
**Wordle 537 3/6** ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 DAILY TIMER INFER ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7785 "2022-12-09T05:24:46Z")
**Friday, December 9th** Wordle 538 5/6 ⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛ ⬛🟩🟩⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRAMP ORATE BRAWL BRAIN BRAID Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7786 "2022-12-09T06:00:21Z")
Wordle 538 5/6 🟨🟨⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 RATIO FLAIR GRAIL BRAIN BRAID Well, it was good for a couple of days. Sometimes I don’t think it through and go with my first thought and sometimes that doesn’t work. Also sometimes I reuse a letter that is not in the word by mistake. Should have been GRAIN on three and would have got it in four. ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7787 "2022-12-09T08:06:19Z")
Wordle 538 3/6\* ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRUEL DRAIN BRAID Lucky 2nd guess leads to an easy 3 ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7788 "2022-12-09T08:15:00Z")
Wordle 538 4/6 ⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛ ⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛ 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EARTH LIONS DUMPY BRAID ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7789 "2022-12-09T09:45:34Z")
Wordle 538 4/6 SL_A_NT CHO_R_E G_I_MPY **BRAID** ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7790 "2022-12-09T11:09:16Z")
Wordle 538 3/6\* 🟩⬜🟩🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD BRAND ← damn. picked the wrong one. BRAID ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7791 "2022-12-09T12:57:01Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > And @Morgyn I’d forgotten all about the strike. Is the union asking us to continue avoiding NYT content on Friday? My streak isn’t long either so I’m OK with breaking it. As far as I know, it was only yesterday. I haven’t checked Twitter yet. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7792 "2022-12-09T13:02:59Z")
Woot! Wordle 538 2/6 ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE BRAID ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7793 "2022-12-09T13:05:07Z")
Wordle 538 3/6 ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRANE SLEPT - Looking for letters. None BRAID - A little luck ---
**Author:** ![chiliwillybing](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chiliwillybing/32/12394_2.png) [@chiliwillybing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiliwillybing)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7794 "2022-12-09T13:10:02Z")
Wordle 538 3/6 🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟨⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRONY WRITE BRAID ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7795 "2022-12-09T13:40:49Z")
Wordle 538 4/6\* ⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜ 🟨🟩🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 GREAT ARDOR DRAIN BRAID If only I’d used ARBOR instead … > [@gkster](#): > > And @Morgyn I’d forgotten all about the strike. Is the union asking us to continue avoiding NYT content on Friday? My streak isn’t long either so I’m OK with breaking it. News reports are that it was just yesterday. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7796 "2022-12-09T14:23:59Z")
Wordle 538 2/6 ⬜⬜🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HEART looking for x R A x x now. On a whim, looking at BRAxx, how about BRAID? Worth a shot. BRAID Whoop dee doo! ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7797 "2022-12-09T16:22:08Z")
> **Wordle 538 3/6\* 12/9/2022** > > 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 > ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > _I_NFE_R_ → Hmm. Try a couple more common consonants, and an A… > T **RAI** L → Wow. Looked at consonants left for about a minute to see… > **BRAID** > > My apologies to the NYT News Guild for crossing the virtual picket line yesterday to play. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7798 "2022-12-09T18:20:01Z")
Wordle 538 4/6 🟦🟦🟦⬛⬛ ⬛🟦⬛🟧🟧 ⬛⬛🟧🟧🟧 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 ADIEU VALID STAID BRAID It was either STAID or BRAID. Lost the virtual coin flip. Should have gone with the more common word, I guess, but I outsmarted myself. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7799 "2022-12-09T19:30:26Z")
Happy with a 3 today. Wordle 538 3/6\* 🟨🟩🟩⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE BRAIN BRAID Lucky with the 2nd try, starting with a ‘B’. I almost tried a ‘G’ starter. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/7800 "2022-12-09T23:59:00Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > My apologies to the NYT News Guild for crossing the virtual picket line yesterday to play. Same here. I played before I was aware there was a request to refrain. But this was, I’d guess, only the first of several work stoppages; I’ll be glad to honor a future request. (I stopped feeling emotional about a streak the first time I lost; once that 100% left, it all became somewhat academic.) Wordle 537 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STERN NEVER UNDER INFER Fairly straightforward task of trying ON\_ER, AN\_ER, and IN\_ER options. Wordle 538 5/6 ⬜⬜🟩🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STARE PRANK CRAWL FRAUD BRAID After guess 3 it became clear I’d have to buckle down and start going through the alphabet systematically. I missed ‘braid’ the first time through or would have tried it before FRAUD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=389) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=391)