Wordle answer changed — but not for all players — due to ‘major recent news event’

The New York Times switched up the Wordle answer for Monday, May 9, but others are still seeing a politically-charged word.

The original word — “FETUS” — prompted an explanation from The Times, the new owner of the popular game played by millions of people daily.

The Times said Monday’s answer was “closely connected to a major recent news event,” but added it was “entirely unintentional and a coincidence.” The switch away from “FETUS” follows last week’s leaked Supreme Court draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which guaranteed federal abortion rights.

“At New York Times Games, we take our role seriously as a place to entertain and escape, and we want Wordle to remain distinct from the news,” The Times said.

The word was changed “for as many solvers as possible,” but users with an outdated version may have to refresh their browser window to see the new answer.

Wordle rose in popularity in late 2021 before being bought by The Times in January. The simple game gives users six answers to solve the word of the day.

It’s not the first time there have been multiple words in the same day. When The Times acquired the game earlier this year, some users noticed multiple answers during the transition.

“We want to emphasize that this is a very unusual circumstance,” The Times said Monday. “When we acquired Wordle in January, it had been built for a relatively small group of users. We’re now busy revamping Wordle’s technology so that everyone always receives the same word. We are committed to ensuring that tens of millions of people have a gratifying and consistent experience, every day.”

Politico published the 98-page leaked draft majority opinion last week. The Supreme Court confirmed the document as legitimate in a statement on Tuesday, May 3 but stressed it was not necessarily the court’s final decision.

The 7-2 Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 affirmed a woman’s right to have an abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Alito wrote in the opinion that original decision “was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences.”

This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 10:28 AM.