Wordle #96 Answer – September 23, 2021
This page covers Wordle puzzle #96, played on Thursday, September 23, 2021. 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 #96
Hint 1: How many vowels?
The answer has 2 vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
Hint 2: First letter
It starts with the letter C.
Hint 3: Last letter
It ends with the letter C.
Hint 4: Repeated letters?
Yes, one letter appears more than once.
Hint 5: Meaning
adjective — Of, relating to, or belonging to a city, a citizen, or citizenship; municipal or civil.
Wordle #96 Answer
The answer to Wordle #96 on September 23, 2021 was:
CIVIC
CIVIC has been the Wordle answer only once so far.
What Does CIVIC Mean?
Civic (adjective): Of, relating to, or belonging to a city, a citizen, or citizenship; municipal or civil.
Example: “Thousands of people came to the Civic Center to show off their civic pride.”
How Hard Was Wordle #96?
7.3/10Hard
90%harder than this share of all 1,963 Wordles
1look-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 (V) that starting words rarely test.
- A few look-alike answers share four of its five letter spots.
Look-alike answers: CIVIL.
How Popular Starting Words Did Against CIVIC
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 | 179 |
| CRANE | CRANE | 23 |
| TRACE | TRACE | 43 |
| STARE | STARE | 186 |
| RAISE | RAISE | 78 |
| AUDIO | AUDIO | 28 |
On this puzzle, CRANE was the most useful opener, leaving 23 possible answers. Read our guide to the best starting words →
How to Solve Wordle #96 Step by Step
Here is one efficient way to reach CIVIC. 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 | 214 |
| 2. IRONY | IRONY | 9 |
| 3. CUBIC | CUBIC | 1 |
| 4. CIVIC | CIVIC | Solved |
Solved in 4 guesses. After SLATE, 214 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 CIVIC
| Position | Letter | Appears in (all answers) | In this exact spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | C | 19.2% | 8.6% |
| 2nd | I | 27.8% | 8.3% |
| 3rd | V | 6.7% | 2.4% |
| 4th | I | 27.8% | 7.5% |
| 5th | C | 19.2% | 1.4% |
On This Day in Wordle: September 23
Answers from the same date in other years:
Wordle #96 FAQ
What was the Wordle answer on September 23, 2021?
The answer to Wordle #96 on September 23, 2021 was CIVIC.
Was Wordle #96 hard?
We rate it 7.3 out of 10 (Hard), harder than about 90% of all Wordle puzzles.
What was the best starting word for Wordle #96?
Of the popular openers, CRANE did best, leaving 23 possible answers after the first guess.