'Wordle' #1,099 Clues and Today's Answer, Saturday, June 22 Puzzle

Having trouble solving today’s Wordle puzzle? Don’t fret as Newsweek is here to help with our daily collection of clues.

Wordle became a viral sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic when Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle created the word puzzle game as a lockdown pastime for his crossword-loving partner, Palak Shah.

After sharing Wordle with family and friends, Wardle realized that others may enjoy the game. He uploaded Wordle online in October 2021 and by January 2022, the game had over 2 million players.

Impressed by it’s success, The New York Times purchased Wordle for a seven-figure sum, adding the game to its roster of beloved word puzzle games. However, Wordle quickly overtook them all, and as of 2024, is still the Times‘ most-popular game.

Since internet fads come-and-go, why has Wordle remained popular? Wardle believes its the one-puzzle-a-day format.

“I built a prototype of Wordle in 2013,” he told Newsweek in January 2022. “Functionally it’s almost the same as the one we have now, with the biggest difference being that the older version allowed endless play. In other words, you could just keep on going until you had your fill. The idea to impose a limitation came when my partner and I started getting into crosswords during the pandemic. In particular, The New York Times have this puzzle called ‘Spelling Bee,’ which has this once-a-day model that I thought was really effective.”

He continued: “I liked the idea that everyone around the world was trying to solve the exact same word at the exact same time. It created a shared communal experience [If] there were multiple puzzles to solve and everyone was at a different stage, then there wouldn’t be that kind of conversation, which I think is the most fulfilling part of Wordle.”

Wardle also didn’t want players becoming addicted to Wordle, as he was afraid they’d binge the game and tire of the puzzles too quickly.

“With the prototype version of Wordle, I found that being able to play endlessly just meant that you would eventually lose interest,” he said. “You would play for like 20 minutes, and then get bored and want to move on to something else. But if you limit how much people can play, then you keep them hooked without taking over their lives.”

If you’re still finding today’s Wordle brainteaser a challenge, here are a few hints to help you find the answer.

A person plays Wordle on a mobile phone. The word puzzle game is still hugely popular, more than two years since it first became a viral sensation.

Michael Draper/AFP