Wordle #243 Answer – February 17, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #243, played on Thursday, February 17, 2022. 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 #243
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter S.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter E.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — The act of shaking or being …; tremulous or back-and-forth motion.
Wordle #243 Answer
The answer to Wordle #243 on February 17, 2022 was:
SHAKE
SHAKE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does SHAKE Mean?
Shake (noun): The act of shaking or being shaken; tremulous or back-and-forth motion.
Example: “She replied in the negative, with a shake of her head.”
How Hard Was Wordle #243?
4.3/10Medium
29%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
8look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Less common letters (K) that starting words rarely test.
- 8 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: SHAME, SNAKE, SHADE, SHAVE, SHAPE, STAKE, SHAKY, SHARE.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against SHAKE
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 | 13 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 42 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 33 |
| STARE | STARE | 10 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 18 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 355 |
On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 10 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #243 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach SHAKE. 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 | 13 |
| 2. SHAPE | SHAPE | 5 |
| 3. SHADE | SHADE | 4 |
| 4. SHAKE | SHAKE | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 13 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 SHAKE
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | S | 25.8% | 14.8% |
| 2nd | H | 16.9% | 6.6% |
| 3rd | A | 39.6% | 14.1% |
| 4th | K | 8.6% | 2.5% |
| 5th | E | 47.1% | 19.7% |
On This Day in Wordle: February 17
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #243 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on February 17, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #243 on February 17, 2022 was SHAKE.
Was Wordle #243 hard?
We rate it 4.3 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 29% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #243?
Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 10 possible answers after the first guess.