'Wordle' #943 Hints and Answer for Thursday, January 18 Game

Wordle took the world by storm at the end of 2021 and many people remain dedicated to the daily word game.

But even playing consistently for more than two years doesn't mean that you're always going to be a puzzle-master, so we've put together some handy hints to help you solve today's mystery word.

Welsh-born, but New York-based creator of the game, Josh Wardle, told Newsweek that even he needs quite a few attempts before solving each daily brainteaser.

"[My partner] and I play it on the couch together each morning. She will consistently get it in three goes, which is way, way better than I can ever hope to achieve. I normally need at least four or five attempts," the software engineer told Newsweek in January 2022.

How Wordle works is simple enough and that is very much part of its appeal for many people. Players get six tries to guess a five-letter word. A gray tile behind each letter indicates that it's not in the word at all; yellow means the letter is in the word, but in the wrong position, and finally green lets players know the letter is in the word and in the correct place.

Wardle said the one-puzzle-a-day strategy keeps the game fresh and makes sure it is not addictive.

"You keep them hooked without taking over their lives," Wardle said. "It's also interesting because this [notion] runs counter to a lot of what you expect from mobile games.

"The assumption is that they're supposed to keep you engaged at all times, but most people can solve a Wordle puzzle in about five minutes and then forget about it."

If you need a hand solving today's Wordle, we've gathered a few clues to help. But the answer appears further down, so scroll with caution!

'Wordle' #943, Clues for Thursday, January 18 Game

Newsweek has put together five hints to help you figure out today's Wordle puzzle.

Hint #1: Today's answer has no repeated letters.

Hint #2: There are two vowels in today's answer.

Hint #3: The first letter is a consonant.

Hint #4: The word is a verb in the past tense.

Hint #5: Today's answer ends with an "e."

'Wordle' #943, Answer for Thursday, January 18

Today's Wordle answer is "Stole."

According to Merriam-Webster, stole is the past of steal.

But stole is also a noun, which is defined as a long, loose garment or a wide piece of material such as a scarf, worn around the shoulder.

Another use of stole as a noun refers to "an ecclesiastical vestment consisting of a long usually silk band worn traditionally around the neck by bishops and priests and over the left shoulder by deacons."

Do you have a good tip for the best starting words when playing Wordle? Share them with us by emailing: entertainment@newsweek.com.