Wordle #1554 Answer – September 20, 2025
This page covers Wordle puzzle #1554, played on Saturday, September 20, 2025. If you are playing it in the NYT Wordle archive, start with the hints. The answer comes after them, along with what the word means, how hard it was, and how the most popular starting words would have done.
Hints for Wordle #1554
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter D.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter R.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
verb — To delay or postpone
Wordle #1554 Answer
The answer to Wordle #1554 on September 20, 2025 was:
DEFER
DEFER has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does DEFER Mean?
Defer (verb): To delay or postpone
Example: “We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.”
How Hard Was Wordle #1554?
4.5/10Medium
36%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
2look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- A repeated letter, which most players do not test until late.
- Less common letters (F) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: DETER, REFER.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against DEFER
Here is the color feedback each well-known opener would have given on this puzzle, and how many past Wordle answers would still fit after that one guess. Fewer is better.
| Opener | Feedback | Answers left |
|---|---|---|
| SLATE | SLATE | 138 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 105 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 95 |
| STARE | STARE | 97 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 89 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 27 |
On this puzzle, AUDIO was the most useful opener, leaving 27 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #1554 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach DEFER. We open with SLATE, then each next guess is the word, from those still possible, that leaves the fewest options on average. Every guess fits all the clues so far, so this path is also legal in Hard Mode.
| Guess | Feedback | Words still possible |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SLATE | SLATE | 157 |
| 2. DECOR | DECOR | 2 |
| 3. DEFER | DEFER | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 157 everyday words still fit. Try your own guesses in our Wordle solver to see which words were left at each step.
Letter-by-Letter Breakdown of DEFER
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | D | 16.2% | 4.7% |
| 2nd | E | 47.1% | 10.6% |
| 3rd | F | 8.8% | 1.3% |
| 4th | E | 47.1% | 13.2% |
| 5th | R | 36.1% | 8.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: September 20
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #1554 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on September 20, 2025?
The answer to Wordle #1554 on September 20, 2025 was DEFER.
Was Wordle #1554 hard?
We rate it 4.5 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 36% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #1554?
Of the popular openers, AUDIO did best, leaving 27 possible answers after the first guess.