Today's Wordle Answer #551 - December 22, 2022 Solution And Hints

It took us another four tries to guess today's Wordle (#551). After guessing the final two letters on the first try, we figured out on the second try that one of those letters – the word's only vowel, "E" – was a repeat. The third try was a test to see where that second instance went. Then a good hour or so passed before finally attempting the word we eventually succeeded with because there was no way we wanted to regress in our total attempts compared to yesterday.

Anyway, here are some more hints for today's Wordle: one might say that this is the verb you'd use to describe how you solve these very puzzles with ease. It's also the name of a piece of software, which we're 99.9% certain you've used if you've ever spent time in a classroom or on a job. The word rhymes with Nextel, which makes us reminiscent of the era when this software came into prominence.

If you've made it this far, you're probably close to exhausting your six guesses, but don't worry: we love playing spoiler. Today's Wordle answer is excel. It comes from two Latin root words: "ex," which means "out" or "beyond," and "celsus," which translates to "lofty." Literally, it means you have gone beyond even the biggest expectations. According to EtymOnline, the root word of "celsus" came from the Proto-Indian-European root "kel," meaning "to be prominent." The word later compounded into "excellere" before it was later shortened to "excel" in modern language.

It's the perfect word to contemplate as we head into 2023, with many of you likely shoring up those new year resolutions in order to take the next big step in your lives. Whether your goals are personal or professional in nature, in the words of a prominent businessman we all grew up watching, it's a most excellent thing to ponder, indeed.