Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1945, and a familiar word leaves room for a deceptively tricky finish. Whether you are protecting a streak or trying your first grid, these hints offer a gentle route forward.
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 #1945 awaits.
The Letter Rundown
Today's puzzle breaks down like this:
Vowel Count: 1 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 4 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
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): Something about this feels a little suspicious.
Level 2 (The Category): An adjective describing shelter from sunlight or a reason for distrust.
Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with S, ends with Y.
Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.
Level 5 (The Giveaway): You could use this to describe a cool spot beneath a tree or a business deal that seems dishonest.
Quick-Reference Clues
First Letter: S
Last Letter: Y
Vowels Present: A
Double Letters: No
Rhymes With: NONE
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 #1945 is: SHADY
Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer
SHADY means sheltered from direct sunlight, as in a shady garden bench. It also means suspicious or potentially dishonest, as in a shady transaction.
Origins: The word combines shade with the adjective-forming suffix -y. Shade comes from Old English sceadu, meaning shade or shadow.
Word Family: shade, shaded, shading, shadily, shadiness
Fun Fact: The same adjective can recommend a picnic spot and warn you away from a deal. That contrast gives this Wordle answer two distinct routes into your vocabulary.
The Streak Saver Rating
I would rate this 3 out of 5, with a lookalike-word trap. All five letters are distinct, but the opening SH and closing Y can leave SHAKY competing with SHADY until the fourth position is settled.
A solver who uncovers SHA_Y can jump to SHAKY because it fits the visible frame. Check the feedback for D and K before committing, and keep both candidates in view if neither letter has been tested.
What This Puzzle Teaches
A convincing word frame is a shortlist, not a verdict. Identify the letters that distinguish your remaining candidates, then let the feedback decide which word earns the next guess.
Tomorrow's Reset
Puzzle #1946 drops at midnight in your timezone, Friday handing the streak over to a fresh board.
Did SHADY fall into place cleanly, or did SHAKY get a turn first? Share how your grid unfolded, then carry that attention to competing candidates into tomorrow's puzzle.
See you at midnight for the next challenge.
