Wordle #550 Answer – December 21, 2022
This page covers Wordle puzzle #550, played on Wednesday, December 21, 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 #550
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter L.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter R.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
noun — The middle bone of the proximal series of the carpus in the wrist, which is shaped like a half-moon.
Wordle #550 Answer
The answer to Wordle #550 on December 21, 2022 was:
LUNAR
LUNAR has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does LUNAR Mean?
Lunar (noun): The middle bone of the proximal series of the carpus in the wrist, which is shaped like a half-moon.
How Hard Was Wordle #550?
3.9/10Medium
19%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
0look-alike answers
- 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- No other answers share four of its five letter spots, so it falls fast once the letters are found.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against LUNAR
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 | 46 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 9 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 45 |
| STARE | STARE | 49 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 65 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 15 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 9 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #550 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach LUNAR. 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 | 52 |
| 2. RALLY | RALLY | 5 |
| 3. MORAL | MORAL | 1 |
| 4. LUNAR | LUNAR | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 52 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 LUNAR
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | L | 28% | 4.1% |
| 2nd | U | 19.5% | 7.6% |
| 3rd | N | 24% | 5.7% |
| 4th | A | 39.6% | 7% |
| 5th | R | 36.2% | 8.5% |
On This Day in Wordle: December 21
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #550 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on December 21, 2022?
The answer to Wordle #550 on December 21, 2022 was LUNAR.
Was Wordle #550 hard?
We rate it 3.9 out of 10 (Medium), harder than about 19% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #550?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 9 possible answers after the first guess.