Wordle 636 confuses fans with 'strange' word, 'what kind of a word is that?'

Wordle 636 has left players confused and irritated with yet another tricky word challenge, but why have people found this word so tough and what does it even mean?

Wordle has been known to throw players a few curveballs, and words such as; leery, coyly, quart, and agape have caused a lot of frustration for fans in the past. And on Friday, March 17, players were irritated once again with another tricky five-letter word, with many complaining that they didn't even know it was a word.

Warning! There are spoilers ahead! So if you don't want to know what the answer is, please click away!.

The answer to Wordle 636 on Friday, March 17, 2023, was the five-letter word 'mealy.' Fans found it especially tricky to solve this unfamiliar word. Players took to social media to complain about this latest challenge from the New York Times and claimed that the word 'mealy' is not a word that is commonly used by anyone in day-to-day life. 

One fan commented, "That's not a word." While another added, "I mean, what kind of word is that?"

A third user added, "Tricky one once again." Another player labelled it "a strange word indeed" while others branded it "ridiculous."

Mealy meaning

While meal is a very common word, many players struggled with this challenge because they were simply unfamiliar with the term mealy. The word is not commonly used, so what does it actually mean?

The word mealy is described by the Merriam Webster dictionary as an adjective that means 'soft, dry and friable.' Synonyms of the word mealy include pallid, paled and ashen. It can also mean something is 'covered with meal or with fine granules.'

An example of mealy used in a sentence would be: "The mealy flesh of a pear."

If you struggled to solve this Wordle challenge, don't worry, you are not alone! This was a particularly tough challenge that stumped a lot of players. However, if you want to improve at this game, there are a number of Wordle hacks and Wordle tricks, that may help.

If you fancy something a little different instead, there are a number of Wordle alternatives that are just like Wordle, but with a slightly different twist to keep things interesting!

Another Wordle challenge that players recently found tricky was Wordle 613, the answer to which was 'riper.'

Some called the word choice 'BS' (bullsh*t), with a fan taking to Twitter to rant, "Wordle 613 6/6 I can think of a dozen more elegant solutions after line three than this BS word #wordle #wordle613."

While riper isn't a hugely unusual word, players still found it a tricky challenge as they were unfamiliar with the term, which is related to the word 'ripe'. The dictionary defines the word as '(of fruit or grain) developed to the point of readiness for harvesting and eating'. To use it in a sentence you could say, 'this tomato is riper than that one'.