Wordle puzzle
Wordle Today: Hints and Answer for Puzzle 1942 on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, Plus Tips to Protect Your Streak

NEW YORK — A fresh Wordle puzzle went live at midnight local time Tuesday, and players looking to keep their streaks alive face a comparison-themed word that may require a few extra guesses.

Puzzle No. 1942 in The New York Times' popular word game is available now. Below are progressively stronger hints for those who want to solve it on their own, followed by the full answer for those who need it. Readers who want to avoid spoilers should stop before the answer section.

How Wordle works

Wordle asks players to guess a five-letter word in six tries or fewer. After each guess, the tiles change color to show how close the guess was. A green tile means the letter is correct and in the right spot. A yellow tile means the letter is in the word but in a different position. A gray tile means the letter does not appear in the answer at all.

The puzzle resets at midnight in each player's local time zone, so there is exactly one answer per day, and every player in the same time zone gets the same word.

Hints for Wordle No. 1942

Players who want a gentle nudge can start with these clues, listed from least to most revealing.

Hint 1: Today's answer is a descriptive word often used to compare two things.

Hint 2: The word can describe roads, gaps, openings or physical objects.

Hint 3: Think of the opposite of narrow.

Hint 4: The word has two vowels, and no letter appears twice.

Hint 5: The answer starts with W and ends with R.

Suggested starting words

Players who have not yet made a first guess may want to start with a word heavy in common letters. Strong general-purpose openers such as SLATE or CRANE can quickly narrow the field, eliminating or confirming frequently used letters including S, T, R, N and E.

For today's puzzle, starter words that include the letter E and R may help reveal key letters early. Since the answer contains no repeated letters, guesses that test five distinct letters will provide the most information.

Strategy tips

The final two letters of today's word follow a common English pattern for comparative adjectives. Players who identify a vowel and the letter R near the end of the word may be able to narrow the possibilities quickly.

However, words ending in that pattern can create a trap. Many five-letter words share the same ending, which means a player can lock in several letters and still face multiple possible answers. In those situations, using a guess to test several new consonants at once, rather than guessing a single likely candidate, can help avoid running out of turns.

Hard mode players, who must use any revealed hints in subsequent guesses, may find this kind of word especially challenging for that reason.

SPOILER WARNING: The answer is below.

Today's Wordle answer

The answer to Wordle No. 1942 on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, is WIDER.

The word is an adjective meaning having a greater distance from side to side than something else. For example, one doorway might be wider than another, or a highway might be wider than a country road.

The answer begins with W, followed by I, D, E and R.

Yesterday's answer

For players catching up, the answer to Wordle No. 1941 on Monday, Oct. 12, was YODEL.

Recent Wordle answers

Players who track past solutions or want to avoid repeating guesses can review the previous answers from the past week and a half:

Why Wordle remains popular

Wordle, created by software engineer Josh Wardle and acquired by The New York Times in early 2022, has become one of the most widely played online word games in the world. Its simple, once-a-day format and shareable grid of colored squares helped turn it into a daily ritual for millions of players.

The game's limited daily availability is a key part of its appeal. Because everyone in the same time zone solves the same puzzle, players can compare results with friends, family and co-workers, often sharing their color-coded grids on social media without revealing the answer itself.

The Times has since expanded its lineup of daily puzzles, which now includes Connections, Strands and the Mini Crossword, alongside its long-running crossword. Many players complete several of the games as part of a morning routine.

Tips for future puzzles

Experienced players often recommend several strategies to improve their results over time.

First, choose a consistent starting word that includes common vowels and consonants. Using the same opener every day can help players develop a sense of which follow-up guesses work best.

Second, pay attention to letter positions, not just which letters are present. A yellow tile carries useful information about where a letter is not located.

Third, consider common letter combinations and word endings. English words frequently end in patterns such as -ER, -LY, -ED and -ING, though the last does not fit within a five-letter limit in every case.

Fourth, remember that Wordle answers can include repeated letters, even though today's does not. Many players lose streaks by assuming each letter appears only once.

Finally, take your time. There is no clock in Wordle, and stepping away from a difficult puzzle for a few minutes can sometimes make the answer easier to spot.

A new Wordle puzzle will be available at midnight local time.