Wordle hint and answer #642: Thursday, March 23

Today's Wordle puzzle on a smartphone

Solve today's Wordle in a flash—the answer to the March 23 (642) game is only a quick click away. Or, if you'd rather take some time with it, why not read through our clues and tips, or give your guesses a little boost with today's Wordle hint?

I experienced a real rollercoaster of emotions today, with two very productive opening guesses leading to… not quite today's answer. The good news is I was just one of the right sort of letter off, so if it wasn't that, then it had to be this—and it was. 

Wordle hint

(Image credit: Josh Wardle)

A Wordle hint for Thursday, March 23

The word you need to find today is used to describe something or someone serious, stuffy, and reserved—to the point of being dull and overly restrictive. Think beige rugs you aren't allowed to walk on. Sensible shoes. An old relative who thinks dunking a biscuit in their tea is uncouth. You'll need to find two vowels to solve this one. 

Is there a double letter in today's Wordle? 

There are no repeat letters in today's Wordle. 

Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day 

If you're new to the daily Wordle puzzle or you just want a refresher after taking a break, I'll share some quick tips to help you win. There's nothing quite like a small victory to set you up for the rest of the day. 

  • A mix of unique consonants and vowels makes for a solid opening word. 
  • A tactical second guess should let you narrow down the pool of letters quickly.
  • There may be a repeat letter in the answer.

You're not up against a timer, so you've got all the time in the world—well, until midnight—to find the winning word. If you're stuck, there's no shame in coming back to the puzzle later in the day and finishing it up when you've cleared your head. 

Today's Wordle answer

(Image credit: Future)

What is the #642 Wordle answer?

Here's the word you've been looking for. The answer to the March 23 (642) Wordle is STAID.

Previous answers

The last 10 Wordle answers 

Keeping track of the last handful of Wordle answers can help to eliminate current possibilities. It's also handy for inspiring opening words or subsequent guesses if you're short on ideas for the day.

Here are the last 10 Wordle answers:

  • March 22: DUVET
  • March 21: TOUGH
  • March 20: GLOVE
  • March 19: CREDO
  • March 18: YACHT
  • March 17: MEALY
  • March 16: CIDER
  • March 15: SWEEP
  • March 14: SURLY
  • March 13: BLAME

Learn more about Wordle 

(Image credit: Nurphoto via Getty)

Wordle presents you with six rows of five boxes every day and the aim is to figure out the correct five-letter word by entering guesses and eliminating or confirming individual letters.

Getting off to a good start with a strong word like ARISE—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters—is a good tactic. Once you hit Enter, the boxes will show you which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you've got the right letter in the right spot.

Your second guess should compliment the starting word, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. With a bit of luck, you should have some coloured squares to work with and set you on the right path.

After that, it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there's an E). Don't forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).

If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used, you can scroll to the relevant section above.

Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes. 

Kerry Brunskill
Contributing Writer

When baby Kerry was brought home from the hospital her hand was placed on the space bar of the family Atari 400, a small act of parental nerdery that has snowballed into a lifelong passion for gaming and the sort of freelance job her school careers advisor told her she couldn't do. She's now PC Gamer's word game expert, taking on the daily Wordle puzzle to give readers a hint each and every day. Her Wordle streak is truly mighty.


Somehow Kerry managed to get away with writing regular features on old Japanese PC games, telling today's PC gamers about some of the most fascinating and influential games of the '80s and '90s.