Today's Wordle Answer #633 - March 14, 2023 Solution And Hints

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By Keyede Erinfolami/March 14, 2023 12:01 am EST

Hiya Wordler, how's that streak looking? To keep it going, let's help you unravel today's mystery word. The word of the day is quite a menacing one, but only by definition. Its letter combination isn't too out of reach, and although it might not be a term in everyday usage, it's not an uncommon word either. We'll provide you with some hints that should help you figure it out before you run out of guesses, and if you don't mind a spoiler, you can skip to the second section for the reveal.

There's only one vowel in our bingo word, U, and it's the second letter. There are no repeated letters, and the word contains the letter S. In keeping with the NYT's modified rules for Wordle answers, that S is not the last letter. The word is an adjective that describes a brooding, crabby, or sullen mood, and it rhymes with gurney.

If you replaced its first letter with B, you'd create a new word that describes a muscular or heavily built person. If you replaced the first letter with a C instead, you'd have an adjective that describes something as having curls. You could also add the letter E between its third and fourth letters, in which case you'd have another adverb that indicates certainty.

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The solution to today's Wordle puzzle (#633 — March 14, 2023 ) is surly. Surliness is a menacing, sour character or appearance or a haughty, gruff demeanor. Surprisingly, the word originally meant lordly or majestic, or literally "like a sir," because it was derived from "sir" or "sire," which are titles used to address men of authority. Per Etymonline, "sire" itself is from the Old French word of the same spelling, which meant "lord," or from Latin "senior," meaning older or elder. 

Merriam-Webster notes that the evolution of the word "surly" to its current meaning probably owes to the fact that men of rank or position were known for arrogant or domineering behavior. It took four tries to unriddle the puzzle today — we went with "juice" as our starting word, and that turned one tile green. We got smarter after the second guess "dummy," and the solution became clear after the third guess "nutty." We hope you have better luck.