Want help without spoilers? Below you’ll find gentle hints first, then stronger clues, and only then the answer—hidden behind a tap-to-reveal box so you can stop scrolling whenever you like. If you’d rather play first, open the official New York Times Wordle page in another tab and come back when you want a nudge.
Today’s puzzle is a classic example of Wordle’s quiet mischief: it’s an everyday word, but it can still feel slippery because the letter pattern invites several “nearly right” options. If you found yourself circling a small group of plausible answers, you were playing it exactly the way most people do—testing one letter change at a time and watching the tiles refuse to settle. The good news is that today’s solution is fair, familiar, and very satisfying once it clicks into place.
Quick refresher for anyone dropping in mid-streak: Wordle gives you six guesses to find a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green is correct letter and position, yellow is correct letter but wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in today’s answer. Strong starters usually test common consonants and at least two vowels, then you pivot based on what the board tells you. If you’re stuck today, the best move is to think about the sound of the word, not just the spelling.
Hints that won’t spoil the answer
1) Part of speech: Today’s answer works as both a verb and a noun.
2) Meaning (general): As a verb, it describes a particular way of walking or carrying yourself—confident, showy, maybe a little theatrical. As a noun, it can be something that supports or braces a structure.
3) Sound clue: The vowel sound is straightforward, but the surrounding consonants can be easy to shuffle if you’re guessing quickly.
Stronger clues (still safe)
Starts with: S • Includes the vowel: U
Pattern guidance: It’s five letters, no special characters, and it isn’t a plural form. If you’ve already confirmed S and U, focus on building a strong middle consonant pairing and a crisp ending sound. Many players get close by finding the “feel” of the word first, then letting the tiles confirm where each letter belongs.
- If your board is heavy on gray tiles, consider that U may be the main vowel doing the work today.
- If you’re bouncing between two answers, use a “tester” guess that eliminates multiple remaining consonants at once.
- When you have three greens, don’t rush—one wrong letter in the remaining slots can cost two turns.
Tap to reveal today’s Wordle answer and explanation (January 25, 2026)
Answer: STRUT
What it means: As a verb, to strut is to walk in a proud, stiff, swaggering way—chin up, shoulders back, the whole performance of confidence. Depending on context, it can sound playful (someone “strutting” after a small win) or a little cutting (someone “strutting” as a way of showing off).
The noun meaning: A strut can also be a brace or support used to stabilise a structure. You’ll hear it in everyday engineering language—car suspension struts, framework struts, or any component designed to resist pressure and keep something rigid.
Why it can feel tricky in Wordle: STRUT is common, but its letter “shape” invites near-misses. With S at the front and U in play, many guesses feel plausible, and the tight consonant cluster can be easy to rearrange until the color feedback forces a decision.
If you want a repeatable method for days like this, aim for information-rich guesses. Early on, choose words that test several common consonants and at least two vowels. Once you realise U is likely the key vowel, narrow the net by locking it into a realistic position while also checking a strong ending consonant. And when you’re down to a couple of possibilities, don’t “hope” your way through—use one guess to eliminate as many remaining letters as possible, even if you feel close. That’s how streaks survive the awkward puzzles.
Also read: More daily puzzle guides on Swikblog
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