What began as a routine start to the day quickly turned into a linguistic detour, with players across social media platforms sharing their confusion, speculation, and eventual enlightenment once the answer was revealed.
Hints That Confused and Intrigued
The day’s puzzle started with a few guiding clues. Unlike previous puzzles that leaned toward commonly used verbs or adjectives, this one ventured into more zoological territory. Key characteristics included, as mentioned in a report by Parade magazine:
- The word starts with a consonant
- Two of the five letters are vowels
- There are no repeated letters
- A synonym clue: “slow-moving primate”
Despite being fairly descriptive, these hints proved too subtle for many users who struggled to connect the dots. Several guessed along animal-related lines, while others got stuck on unrelated five-letter distractions.
Understanding Wordle’s Daily Challenge
Wordle has continued to enthrall players since its explosive rise in popularity in late 2021. Originally developed by Josh Wardle, the game was later acquired by The New York Times in early 2022 and now forms part of its growing games portfolio.
Each day, players face one five-letter word that they must guess within six tries. Letters guessed correctly and in the right position appear in green, while letters that are correct but misplaced show up in yellow. Incorrect letters are greyed out, aiding process-of-elimination strategies.
The game refreshes at midnight local time and is available free through NYT’s platforms and apps. It remains among the most played digital word puzzles worldwide.
This Week’s Wordle Answers So Far
For players interested in the broader Wordle journey this week, here’s a quick look back:
- July 17 (Thursday) – MODAL
- July 16 (Wednesday) – NERVY
- July 15 (Tuesday) – FOIST
- July 14 (Monday) – UNDID
- July 13 (Sunday) – GNOME
Compared to these entries, Friday’s word stood out due to its biological reference, less frequent in Wordle’s typical answer pool.
Tips for Newcomers and Veterans Alike
For those unfamiliar with Wordle’s best practices, experts suggest beginning with words that cover a wide range of vowels and common consonants. Starting guesses like “CRANE,” “AUDIO,” or “SLATE” are often recommended.
The game also provides analytical tools such as the Wordle Bot (for paid NYT Games subscribers), which evaluates each guess’s effectiveness and offers performance comparisons.
Those with full subscriptions can also play past Wordles, offering a chance to revisit or catch up on older puzzles from the archive of over 1,400 games.
Today’s Word Sparks Curiosity—and a Learning Moment
Friday’s word selection sparked an unusual surge of curiosity. The primate-based clue had many scrambling to recall high school biology or wildlife documentaries. As discussions flooded online forums, it became clear that the game was not just a vocabulary test, but an unexpected trivia lesson as well.
The word in question refers to a nocturnal, slow-moving primate found in parts of Asia, closely related to the lemur and known for its large, wide eyes and calm demeanor. Though obscure to some, it made for a memorable answer that many players won’t forget anytime soon.
The Answer Revealed (Spoilers Below)
For those who’ve exhausted their six attempts and are still puzzling over the day’s mystery, scroll no further unless you’re ready to reveal today’s solution.
Spoiler Alert: The answer to Wordle #1490 for Friday, July 18, 2025, is LORIS.
FAQs
What was the answer to Wordle on July 18, 2025?
The answer to Wordle puzzle #1490 on July 18, 2025, was LORIS, a five-letter word referring to a slow-moving nocturnal primate.
Why did the July 18 Wordle puzzle confuse many players?
The puzzle veered away from common verbs or adjectives and featured a biological term from the animal kingdom. Clues pointed to a “slow-moving primate,” which proved challenging for many unfamiliar with zoological terms.
