Wordle #869 Answer – November 5, 2023

This page covers Wordle puzzle #869, played on Sunday, November 5, 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 #869

Hint 1: How many vowels?

The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).

Hint 2: First letter

It starts with the letter F.

Hint 3: Last letter

It ends with the letter E.

Hint 4: Repeated letters?

No, all five letters are different.

Hint 5: Meaning

noun — A sudden bright light.

Wordle #869 Answer

The answer to Wordle #869 on November 5, 2023 was:

FLARE

FLARE has been the Wordle answer only once so far.

What Does FLARE Mean?

Flare (noun): A sudden bright light.

How Hard Was Wordle #869?

3.2/10Easy
6%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
4look-alike answers
  • 2 vowels, which a typical starting word uncovers quickly.
  • Five different letters, which suits most guessing strategies.
  • Less common letters (F) that starting words rarely test.
  • 4 look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots, which can turn the last guesses into a coin flip.

Look-alike answers: FLAME, BLARE, FLAKE, GLARE.

How Popular Starting Words Did Against FLARE

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.

OpenerFeedbackAnswers left
SLATESLATE12
CRANECRANE7
TRACETRACE7
STARESTARE4
RAISERAISE25
AUDIOAUDIO355

On this puzzle, STARE was the most useful opener, leaving 4 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →

How to Solve Wordle #869 Step by Step

Here is one efficient way to reach FLARE. 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.

GuessFeedbackWords still possible
1. SLATESLATE12
2. BLAREBLARE2
3. FLAREFLARESolved

Solved in 3 guesses. After SLATE, 12 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 FLARE

PositionLetterAppears in (all answers)In this exact spot
1stF8.8%5.3%
2ndL28%8.7%
3rdA39.6%14.1%
4thR36.1%6.6%
5thE47.1%19.6%

On This Day in Wordle: November 5

Answers from the same date in other years:

YearPuzzleAnswer
2025#1600SHORT
2024#1235OCTET
2022#504DREAM
2021#139BLURT

Wordle #869 FAQ

What was the Wordle answer on November 5, 2023?

The answer to Wordle #869 on November 5, 2023 was FLARE.

Was Wordle #869 hard?

We rate it 3.2 out of 10 (Easy), harder than about 6% of all Wordle puzzles.

What was the best starting word for Wordle #869?

Of the popular openers, STARE did best, leaving 4 possible answers after the first guess.