New York Times Ditches Original Wordle Solution

There was some confusion in the world of Wordle on Monday, because the New York Times subbed out the original answer as unintentionally controversial. However, the fix didn't take for everyone, meaning two different results were in play, reports GameRant. Spoiler alert: For those who don't want to know the controversial answer, stop reading now because it will be revealed below. In a note to readers, the editors of the Games section at the Times explain that the original answer was loaded last year but, in a coincidence, is "closely connected to a major recent news event."

That news event: Last week's leak of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade draft opinion. The original clue: fetus. "We take our role seriously as a place to entertain and escape, and we want Wordle to remain distinct from the news," write the editors. They subbed out "fetus" for a new answer, but the fix worked only for those who happened to refresh their browser window. The Guardian notes that something similar happened in March when the Times subbed out the original solution of "harry" because it was deemed too obscure. However, as happened this time, some users got the original version and some the newer one. (This might be the best possible starting word for any Wordle puzzle.)