Wordle #1,707: A Puzzle That Stinks (In the Best Way)
Welcome, word wizards and letter-logicians, to another day of digital deduction. Today’s Wordle, puzzle #1,707, has arrived, and it’s bringing a certain… aroma to the table. If you’ve been breezing through your recent games, today might just be the one that makes you pause and scratch your head. It’s not the most common word in the English lexicon, but it’s one we all know and, well, sometimes experience. Ready to dive in? Let’s break it down—hints, strategy, and the full answer—so you can keep that precious streak alive.
According to the New York Times’ trusty WordleBot, the average player is solving today’s puzzle in 4.1 moves, whether playing on easy or hard mode. That’s a solid indicator that we’re dealing with a puzzle that requires a bit more thought than your average Tuesday brain-teaser.
⚠️ Spoiler Warning Ahead! ⚠️ This is your final boarding call. Beyond this point, we will be discussing specific hints and, ultimately, the answer to Wordle #1,707 for February 20, 2025. If you want to solve it on your own, now’s the time to close this tab and fire up the NYT Games site. For everyone else seeking a little help or just the satisfaction of the reveal, read on.
Your Progressive Hint Kit for Wordle #1,707
Stuck somewhere between your second and third guess? Don’t panic. Use these hints, progressing from gentle nudges to almost-giving-it-away clues.
Level 1: Gentle Nudges
Let’s start without spoiling the fun. Today’s answer is most commonly used as a verb in its past tense form. It contains one vowel. The general theme or category could be described as sensation or perception, and not necessarily a pleasant one.
Level 2: Intermediate Clues
Ready to narrow it down? The word begins with the letter S. The single vowel in the word is an A, and it is located in the third position. Think of a word you might use to describe something that had a very strong and usually bad smell.
Level 3: Advanced Intel
Last stop before the answer. The structure of today’s Wordle is: S _ A _ _. A close synonym would be reeked. It’s a word often used informally or in storytelling to convey a potent olfactory offense.
Difficulty Analysis: Why Today’s Wordle is Tricky
| Factor | Level (Out of 10) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Common Letters | 8/10 | It contains four of the ten most common Wordle letters (S, T, A, N), which is actually very helpful. |
| Patterns | 3/10 | Words ending in ‘K’ without a preceding ‘C’ are less frequent, breaking common expectations. |
| Vowels | 7/10 | Having only one vowel (A) simplifies the vowel hunt but limits options. |
| Traps/Deceptions | 9/10 | Extremely high! The common letters create many plausible alternatives like STAND, STAMP, or STACK, leading players down frustrating rabbit holes. |
A Step-by-Step Solving Guide
Let’s walk through a strategic approach to cracking today’s code, using a popular starting word.
First Move (ORATE): A great opener like ORATE will likely give you a yellow ‘T’ and a green ‘A’. This is an excellent start, immediately locking the vowel into the third spot and confirming the presence of a common consonant.
Second Move (Strategic Follow-up): Now, you want to test other common consonants while respecting the green ‘A’. A word like STAIN is perfect here. It uses S, T, and N, and places the I in a new spot. The result? Likely green S and T, with a yellow N. The board is now taking shape: S T A _ _. The N must be in one of the last two spots.
The Elimination Process: With the pattern S T A _ _, your brain races through options: STACK, STAND, STALK, STAMP. This is the crucial moment. You need to test endings. Trying STAND might feel right, but it leaves you with a gray D.
The “Aha!” Moment: After STAND fails, you reconsider. You have an S, T, A, and an N to place. What common five-letter word starting with STA and containing an N fits? The less-common ending “NK” might click. You’ve eliminated many options, and STANK emerges as the only logical conclusion.
Recommended Attempts: Solving this in 4 or 5 attempts is a very strong result given the deceptive trap words.
Specific Strategies for Today’s Puzzle
If you got stuck on the fourth and fifth letters, you’re not alone. The trap of assuming a common ending like “ND” or “CK” was the major hurdle.
Avoiding the “D” or “CK” Trap: When you have S T A _ _, fight the instinct to go for the most obvious English word endings first. Mentally run through less common pairings like “NK,” “LK,” or “MP” before committing a guess.
The Unique Pattern: Today’s answer highlights the importance of remembering that a final ‘K’ can stand alone. We’re so used to “CK” that a solitary “K” can blindside us. This is a great pattern to add to your Wordle mental database.
Interesting Word Stats
How does today’s word stack up? Let’s look at the data.
- Frequency: “Stank” is not a high-frequency word in modern formal English, ranking well outside the top 10,000 most common words.
- Comparison: It is significantly rarer than yesterday’s answer, HOIST, making it a more challenging solve.
- Success Rate: The 4.1-turn average suggests a higher-than-usual fail rate. We estimate a lower success rate, with more streaks ending today than on an average puzzle.
For the Truly Curious
Today’s word, STANK, is the simple past tense of the verb “stink.” Its origins are solidly Germanic, coming from the Old English “stincan,” which meant to emit a smell (good or bad). It’s related to words like “stench.”
A fun, lesser-known use? In some dialects and informal contexts, “stank” can also be used as a noun to describe a strong foul smell, as in “the stank of the swamp.” Culturally, it famously appears in the title of the 1999 hip-hop track “The Stank” by Redman, forever linking it to a certain gritty, funky aesthetic.
Yesterday’s Answer: A Quick Recap
If you’re just joining us, yesterday’s Wordle #1,706 was HOIST. It was a more straightforward puzzle, with common letters and a recognizable pattern. The main challenge was the number of similar words ending in “OIST” (MOIST, JOIST, FOIST). Compared to today’s STANK, HOIST was a walk in the park, highlighting how Wordle’s difficulty can swing dramatically from day to day.
General Wordle Strategy Tips
Whether today was a breeze or a struggle, here are some evergreen tips to sharpen your game:
- Prioritize Placement: After finding correct letters (greens), your next guess should focus on testing their possible new positions (for yellows) while also probing for new common letters. Don’t just rearrange yellows; use them as anchors to explore.
- Beware the Common-Ending Trap: As seen today, common letter pairs like ND, CK, or ING can lead to multiple guesses. When you have a pattern like _ A _ _ _, actively consider less common endings before spending a guess.
- Best Starter Words (Based on Today’s Data): The Bot’s top starters like SLATE or SPLAT performed exceptionally well today, quickly narrowing the field. Consistency with a strong starter is key to weathering puzzles like #1,707.
- Manage Your Streak Mentality: Don’t let the fear of losing a streak force a rushed, unstrategic guess. Take a breath, use elimination logic, and remember—it’s just a game. A hard-won 4 is more satisfying than a lucky 3.
There you have it! Another Wordle conquered. Whether you sniffed out STANK quickly or it took you to the brink, we hope this guide helped. Now, go enjoy that sweet, streak-preserving victory. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for the next linguistic challenge.
