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Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer for puzzle #1339 on February 17

Here are some hints for today's answer.
Drawing of the New York Times 'Wordle' game board with the words "hint of the day" on the board.
Macy Sinreich / TODAY Illustrations

If today's Wordle puzzle is turning out to be a head-scratcher, we're here to help you out.

Before jumping into the hints and solutions for the Monday, Feb. 17 puzzle, though, let’s go over the basics of Wordle.

Wordle is a word puzzle that gives players six chances to guess a five-letter word. Originally created by software engineer Josh Wardle and released to the public in 2021, the puzzle was acquired by The New York Times in 2022 after rising to huge popularity.

Players can pick any “starter word” to begin the puzzle. From there, blocks will turn green when the right letter is in the right place, yellow when the right letter is in the wrong place and gray when the letter doesn’t exist in the puzzle.

The Times’ Wordle editor Tracy Bennett told TODAY.com in a 2023 interview that she didn’t think “any word is a bad choice.” After analyzing 515 million games in 2023, the New York Times’ Wordlebot recommended “trace” as a solid go-to starter word for any day.

You can play Wordle for free, though to save your statistics and see deeper analysis, you’ll need a New York Times Games subscription or a full New York Times subscription.

Below are the clues and hints for today’s Wordle answer. Plus, find the answer to puzzle #1339 at the bottom.

What is a hint for today’s Wordle answer?

This word is a verb and noun.

As a verb, the word is the act of dragging. As a noun, it's another word for an outdoor pathway.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle answer?

Two

Does today’s Wordle answer have any repeating letters?

No

What vowels are in today’s Wordle answer?

A, I

What letter does today’s Wordle answer start with?

T

What is the definition of today’s Wordle answer?

As a verb, the word means “to hang down, esp. behind, so as to drag on the ground, etc.” As a noun, the word means "a marked or beaten path, as through woods or wilderness."

What is today’s Wordle answer?

The solution to today’s Wordle puzzle will appear under this image. Proceed with caution.


Sketch version of the New York Times' "Wordle" game grid, with three rows of six boxes each. The rows read "The answer is...".
Macy Sinreich / TODAY Illustrations

“Trail”

The definitions for the above word are from Webster’s New World College Dictionary