Wordle Answers for Thursday, May 21, 2026 — Puzzle #872
Daily answers for all 8 word lengths. Click on any word for detailed analysis.
CRUEL
noun/verb/adjective · 1 meaning
1. The word "CRUEL" is today's Wordle answer.
Medium
Difficulty
3
Avg Guesses
85%
Solve Rate
CRUEL
Answer
Hints (Without Spoilers)
Category
This word relates to "The word "CRUEL" is today's Wordle answer...."
Structure
2 vowels (U, E) · starts with CR · ends in UEL · no repeated letters
Definition Hint
The word "CRUEL" is today's Wordle answer....
Solve Walkthrough — Solved in 3
Full analysis →Best opening: slate — tests S, L, A, T, E (all high-frequency)
Found 2 letters in the word but wrong position. Reposition them in your next guess.
4 letters present but misplaced. Try different positions while keeping known correct letters.
CRUEL — solved!
Key Insight
After 0 correct and 4 present letters, the pattern narrowed to just CRUEL.
Today's Answers
Related Word Patterns — Help for Next Time
Frequently Asked — May 21, 2026
What was the Wordle answer on May 21, 2026?
The 5-letter Wordle answer was CRUEL. In Wordle Unlimited, answers ranged from FOOT (4L) to PROBABILITY (11L).
Was puzzle #872 hard or easy?
Medium. CRUEL has moderate letter patterns. Average players solved it in 3 guesses.
Think you can beat today's puzzle?
Try the same words in Unlimited mode — no daily limit, 4–11 letter lengths.
Play Wordle Unlimited Free →