Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1737, and this Sunday challenge serves up a common culinary herb with straightforward letter patterns that rewards vowel-heavy openers. Whether you're protecting a legendary streak or starting fresh, we've got the hints to guide you home.
The Basics (For New Players)
Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.
Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1737 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No
Letter Rarity: All common letters
The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)
We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.
Level 1 (The Vibe): Think of Mediterranean kitchens and fresh summer gardens.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is a noun. It's something you might find in an herb garden or Italian recipe.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with B, ends with L.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels are in positions 2 and 4.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): A fragrant green herb essential to pesto and caprese salad.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: B
Last Letter: L
Vowels Present: A, I
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: HAZEL, GAZEL, RAZEL
Today's Wordle Answer
Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.
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The answer to Wordle #1737 is: BASIL
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
BASIL noun. An aromatic herb used in cooking, particularly in Mediterranean cuisine.
Origins: From Old French "basile," from Latin "basilicum," from Greek "basilikon" meaning "royal" or "kingly."
Word Family: basilic (adjective), basilisk (related via Greek root)
Fun Fact: Basil is considered a "royal herb" - its name literally means "kingly" in Greek, reflecting its historical importance in ancient cultures.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Trap Factor: LOW. All common letters, no tricky patterns or double letters.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle presents minimal resistance. With two common vowels (A and I) in standard positions and no repeated letters, BASIL falls quickly to systematic elimination. The B-start might slow some players, but it's a common enough consonant that shouldn't cause major delays. Expect most solves in the 3-4 guess range.
What This Puzzle Teaches
This puzzle reinforces the value of testing multiple vowels early - both A and I appear in common positions (2 and 4), rewarding openers like ADIEU or AUDIO that cover these frequently used vowels.
The B-starting word demonstrates that less common starting letters can still be solved efficiently with systematic elimination. Players who test B early (in words like BRAIN or BREAD) gain immediate positional information that accelerates the solve.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1738 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's BASIL catch you off guard, or did you crack it in three? Either way, every Wordle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at midnight for the next challenge.
