Today's Wordle Answer #454 - September 16, 2022 Solution And Hints

WordleBot says it took most players an average of 6.2 guesses to solve today's Wordle puzzle. The game only gives players six attempts, so that means many people lost their streaks today, and we don't want that for you.

Today's answer is both an unusual word and an unusual letter combination, so it's easy to see why it's such a stumbling block for many players. The word refers to a tool used to trim something down by cutting away excesses, so here are some hints to help you whittle down the number of possible guesses and hopefully solve the puzzle in record time. We'll reveal the full answer in the second section so you can skip to that if you prefer to cut to the chase. Also, here's yesterday's Wordle answer if you missed it.

There are two vowels in today's solution word — "A" and "E" — as the second and fourth letters, respectively. There's a repeated consonant, the letter "R," but we won't spell out which positions they occupy for the sake of players who still want some mental exercise from the puzzle. But here are some more leads: the first letter is "P," and the answer rhymes with the word bearer.

The solution to today's Wordle puzzle (#454 – September 16, 2022) is parer. That's a small sharp knife used in removing the outer covering or skin of fruits and vegetables, though it can also refer to a beautician who "trims and polishes the fingernails," according to The Free Dictionary. In Ireland, the word parer also refers to a pencil sharpener, the simple tool used to sharpen a pencil's writing point by shaving away the wood to reveal new lead.

The word parer is the noun variant of the verb "pare," which has roots in the Middle English word "paren," borrowed from Anglo-French's "parer," meaning to prepare, trim, or cut off. It goes back to the Latin word "parāre," which means "to supply, provide, or make ready" (via Merriam-Webster). It's the root word of phrases like "pared down" and "pared back," which both describe things that have been reduced to the most minimal form and have no excesses or unnecessary features. Speaking of getting rid of excesses, if you're an iOS user who finds the latest iOS 16 home screen a little too much, you can pare it down by removing the search button.