Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1699, and this Thursday challenge delivers a common but potentially tricky verb/noun combo that could trip up players expecting more exotic vocabulary. 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 #1699 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 sudden power and forward motion.
Level 2 (The Category): This word is both a noun and a verb. It describes a rapid increase or movement.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with S, ends with E.
Level 4 (The Structure): The vowels are in positions 2 and 5.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): A sudden powerful forward movement or increase.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: S
Last Letter: E
Vowels Present: U, E
Double Letters: NO
Rhymes With: PURGE, URGE, DIRGE
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 #1699 is: SURGE
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
SURGE functions as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means a sudden powerful forward or upward movement. As a verb, it means to move suddenly and powerfully forward or upward.
Origins: Derived from Middle French "sourge" meaning "to rise, swell," which came from Old French "sourdre" and ultimately Latin "surgere" meaning "to rise, arise, get up."
Word Family: surging, surged, surges, surgent
Fun Fact: While "surge" is a common English word, this marks its first appearance as a Wordle solution, though it has always been in the dictionary of valid guesses.
The Streak Saver Rating
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Trap Factor: LOW. All letters are common, no repeated letters, straightforward vowel-consonant pattern.
Average Solve: 3.8 guesses (estimate based on difficulty)
This puzzle rates as relatively easy due to its all-common letter composition and familiar S-E bookend pattern. The main challenge comes from the U-R-G middle combination, which isn't as frequent as other consonant clusters. Players using standard openers like "ADIEU" or "STARE" will likely catch the U and E early, narrowing the field significantly.
What This Puzzle Teaches
SURGE demonstrates the value of testing common vowel positions early - the U in position 2 and E at the end represent classic Wordle patterns that appear in many solutions.
The S-G combination is less common than S-T or S-P, reminding players to consider less frequent consonant pairings when common combinations don't yield results.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1700 drops at midnight in your timezone. Did today's SURGE 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.
