Wordle #698 Answer – May 18, 2023
This page covers Wordle puzzle #698, played on Thursday, May 18, 2023. 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 #698
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 1 vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter S.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter N.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
No, all five letters are different.
Hint 5: Meaning
verb — To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed weapon, now usually with shears, or as if using shears.
Wordle #698 Answer
The answer to Wordle #698 on May 18, 2023 was:
SHORN
SHORN has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does SHORN Mean?
Shorn (verb): To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed weapon, now usually with shears, or as if using shears.
How Hard Was Wordle #698?
5.1/10Medium-Hard
52%harder than this share of all 1,962 Wordles
6look-alike answers
- Only 1 vowel, so the vowel pattern is hard to find early.
- Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
- Only common letters, with nothing unusual to find.
- 6 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.
Look-alike answers: THORN, SHOWN, SCORN, SHORE, SHORT, SWORN.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against SHORN
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 | 43 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 9 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 51 |
| STARE | STARE | 8 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 22 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 249 |
On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 8 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #698 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach SHORN. 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 | 55 |
| 2. SCION | SCION | 3 |
| 3. SHORN | SHORN | Solved |
Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 55 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 SHORN
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | S | 25.8% | 14.8% |
| 2nd | H | 16.9% | 6.6% |
| 3rd | O | 30% | 11.2% |
| 4th | R | 36.2% | 6.6% |
| 5th | N | 24% | 5.7% |
On This Day in Wordle: May 18
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #698 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on May 18, 2023?
The answer to Wordle #698 on May 18, 2023 was SHORN.
Was Wordle #698 hard?
We rate it 5.1 out of 10 (Medium-Hard), harder than about 52% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #698?
Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 8 possible answers after the first guess.