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."
SEE ALSO: 'Taylordle' is 'Wordle' for SwiftiesWhat is today's Wordle?
You can find clues and the answer for each day's Wordle right here.
Why was the Wordle Archive shut down?
Since the acquisition last year, 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 2022, 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)
May contain spoilers for the latest puzzle!
Wordle #681: RANGE - An area of variation, set of different things, or breadth of capability.
Wordle #682: SULKY - Morose, resentful.
Wordle #683: HORDE - A large number of people or animals moving together.
Wordle #684: GUPPY - A small fish with a proportionally large fan-shaped tail.
Wordle #685: BELOW - Underneath or lower than.
Wordle #686: ANGER - A strong feeling of annoyance, hostility, or frustration.
Wordle #687: GHOUL - An evil spirit, or a person overly fascinated with death or violence.
Wordle #688: AGLOW - Glowing or radiating, either literally with light or figuratively with happiness or joy.
Wordle #689: COCOA - A bean that produces a substance of the same name, from which chocolate and other foods are produced.
Wordle #690: ETHIC - A set of principles.
Wordle #691: BROOM - A tool for sweeping, consisting of fibres attached to a long stick.
Wordle #692: SNACK - Food eaten, usually in smaller quantities, between main meals.
Wordle #693: ACRID - Unpleasantly bitter or pungent.
Wordle #694: SCARF - A length or square of fabric worn around the neck or tied around the head.
Wordle #695: CANOE - A small paddle-driven boat, usually for one or two people only.
Wordle #696: LATTE - A coffee made with steamed milk, from the Italian word for milk.
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.
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