Today's Wordle Answer #486 - October 18, 2022 Solution And Hints

Today's Wordle answer contains an unusual letter — one of the least used in the English alphabet — so if you're stuck, that's understandable. We'll supply some clues and tips to help nudge you towards the answer, or you can skip the mental gymnastics and check out the full answer in the second section.

We'll be out with it upfront: The unusual letter is "X," and it's the second letter of today's Wordle answer. Where there's an "X," there's usually a preceding "A" or "E" — with this word, it's the latter. The word is a verb that means to have real, objective being. So, unicorns and Santa Claus do not [solution word] in real life, and neither do dragons or fairies. Also, humans would cease to [solution word] if their oxygen supply is cut off. The solution word means to manage to live, especially under difficult conditions. If you've gotten the answer by now, well done! If you're still unsure, check out the word in the following section.

The solution to today's Wordle puzzle (#486 — October 18, 2022) is exist. Something exists if it's objectively real. The word is from French "exister," which is itself from Latin "existere" or "exsistere," which means "to step out, stand forth, emerge, appear; exist, be" (via Etymonline).

Like yesterday, we solved the puzzle in four tries. We'd probably have done it faster if we used the recommended starting word, "slate," as our first guess, but it's more fun to mix things up. Our opening guess was the word fling, which WordleBot called distinctive, and that turned one tile green. The second guess, drive, yielded more helpful information and eliminated more guesses. After the third guess, with the word hauls, the answer became clear.

As a reminder, the most efficient Wordle-solving strategy is to try and use as many letters as early as possible, so you can gather enough information before you run out of attempts. Also, if you're a regular Wordle player, you'll enjoy these alternative puzzles that are similar.