Honestly, some mornings you just wake up and your brain isn't firing on all cylinders. You open your phone, the bright white screen of the NYT Games app hits your eyes, and you stare at those five empty boxes like they’re a complex calculus equation. Today is one of those days.
The New York Times Wordle answer for today is a bit of a curveball, especially if your go-to starter words are heavy on consonants. If you've been stuck on Puzzle #1670 for more than ten minutes, don't feel bad. You aren't alone. Even the most seasoned players—the ones who haven't missed a day since Josh Wardle sold the game for "low seven figures"—are finding this Wednesday challenge a little slippery.
Looking for a Hint? Let's Talk Strategy
Before we just give away the farm, let's look at why this one is tricky. Most people have a "system." You might start with ADIEU because you love vowels, or maybe STARE because you're a statistics nerd who knows S, T, and R are the MVPs of the English alphabet.
Today's word is a bit different. It’s a verb. Most of the time, we’re looking for nouns, right? Table, chair, crane, gumbo (which, by the way, was yesterday's surprisingly delicious answer). But today, the game wants you to think about an action. Specifically, an action you take when you're trying to stay away from something unpleasant. Like a puddle. Or an ex-boyfriend at a grocery store.
Here are some quick clues to get your gears turning:
- The Vowel Situation: There are three of them. Yeah, three. That's a lot for a five-letter word.
- The Starting Lineup: It starts with a vowel. That always messes with people's heads because we naturally want to lead with a consonant.
- The Meaning: It’s a verb that means to stay away from or to shun.
- No Repeats: Every letter in this word is unique. No double-letter traps today!
The New York Times Wordle Answer for Today (January 14, 2026)
Okay, if you've used five guesses and your streak is sweating, here it is.
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The New York Times Wordle answer for today is AVOID.
It’s such a common word, but it’s a total "vowel sandwich." Having A, O, and I all crammed into five letters makes it tough if your starting word was something like "GHOST" or "TRUCK." If you started with "AUDIO" or "ADIEU," you probably saw those green or yellow tiles pop up immediately and felt like a genius.
Why Wordle Still Hooks Us in 2026
It’s kind of wild that we’re still doing this, isn't it? Back in 2022, everyone thought Wordle was a flash in the pan. A pandemic hobby that would die out once we all went back to the office. But here we are in 2026, and the NYT puzzle suite—led by the ever-sharp Tracy Bennett—is bigger than ever.
Tracy Bennett, the current editor, has a fascinating job. She doesn't just pick words at random. She has to look at the "lexical variety" of the week. If yesterday was a noun like GUMBO, today needs to be something different. She’s mentioned in interviews that she tries to avoid words with weird variant spellings (looking at you, British "COLOUR") and tries to keep the difficulty curve balanced.
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Today’s word, AVOID, is a perfect "middle-of-the-road" puzzle. It isn't as obscure as some of the words that have caused Twitter riots in the past, but the letter structure is just "off" enough to make you work for it.
Don't Let a Bad Streak Ruin Your Morning
If you missed it, don't sweat it. Streaks are made to be broken. If you're looking to improve your game for tomorrow, consider swapping your starter word.
- Try a "Vowel-Heavy" Opener: Words like AUDIO or ADIEU are great for identifying the core of the word quickly.
- The Consonant Crunch: If you prefer narrowing down the structure, SLATE or CRANE remain the gold standards according to WordleBot (the NYT's own AI that judges your choices).
- Process of Elimination: Sometimes, it’s better to use your second guess to burn through as many common letters as possible, even if you know it’s not the answer.
Next Steps for Your Daily Puzzle Routine
Now that you've cleared the Wordle hurdle, you might want to tackle the rest of the NYT "Morning Quartet."
If you're feeling brave, the Connections puzzle today (January 14) is particularly nasty. One of the categories involves "Starting with weather conditions" (think words like RAINMAKER or SNOWMAN), and it’s definitely a step up in difficulty from the Wordle.
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You can also check out Strands, which has been the breakout hit of the last year. Today's theme is "Oh boy!" and deals with words related to elation. It’s a nice palate cleanser after the stress of a near-miss on Wordle.
Keep that streak alive, and remember: it's just a game. Until tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight, of course.
Actionable Insight: To avoid future Wordle frustrations, try switching your starting word to ARISE or UNTIE for the next few days. These words cover three common vowels and two frequent consonants, giving you a statistically better chance of hitting a "green" on your first attempt.