NYT Today Wordle No. 1239 Hints and Answer for November 9, 2024

• The word can describe something that increases in size or intensity.
• It’s often used to talk about the ocean or waves.
• Think of a word often associated with waves, growth, or something positive from mid-century slang.

If you still want to know the answer, follow along to find it in the end.

Today's Starting Word: Young

Joseph suggested we start with “young” — a perfect word for those of us committed to the motto that “age is just a number.” I couldn't agree more! So, with high hopes, I entered young as our first guess. Unfortunately, young didn’t return any correct letters this time, but no regrets here. It’s a solid choice, and now we have a fully open board to explore new letters and keep the game moving.

Second Guess: Shirt

With young eliminated, I decided to give shirt a try. This word has a great mix of common letters, so it’s a strong choice to cover new ground. And... success! The S lit up in green, landing in the first position. No other letters were confirmed just yet, but this small victory opened up new possibilities.

Third Guess: Space

Next, I turned to space. This word seemed promising with both A and E in play, which I hadn’t tested yet. Plus, it brings in the P and C — two handy consonants. However, space didn’t reveal any additional green letters, though it did confirm the E in the middle.

At this point, I began to consider if there could be a double E in the word, with some possible placements in mind.

Fourth Guess: Sleek

Thinking through the possibility of a double E led me to sleek. It’s a smart move since, at worst, we’d still uncover exactly how many E letters we’re dealing with. I was confident but slightly nervous since we were getting into deeper guesses. Although sleek wasn’t the answer, it confirmed a single E right in the third position. This narrowed down our options and boosted my confidence.

Final Guesses: Swell or Smell

With the S in the first spot and the E in the third, I started to zero in on possible words. The combination of S–E–L–L letters left me with just two realistic options: swell and smell. I debated for a moment but ultimately felt good about trying swell first.

And... bingo! Swell was indeed the answer. The relief was real, as I had placed my confidence in the right analysis, and the word turned out to be just as I’d hoped.

Credit: New York Times Wordle

Also play Connections? Find Here Today's Connections Hints and Answer.

Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead

A big thanks to Joseph for his starting word inspiration! Although young didn’t give us any immediate hints, it set us up for a fun challenge and a successful solve by our fifth guess. Tomorrow, I’m planning a “Baking Sunday” theme with yeast as the starting word — something different that we haven't tried yet!

Thanks for joining today. Keep those starting word suggestions coming, and I’ll see you tomorrow for another Wordle adventure. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!