Wordle #1490 was graced by "LORIS," a rare primate name with unique letters and biological relevance.
Strategic guessing and an ear for consonant-vowel combinations quickly narrowed the options for today's puzzle.
The puzzle offered a challenging word and an unexpected lesson on animal conservation.
Today’s NYT Wordle was a fun challenge with an unexpected twist. The answer was a fascinating creature not commonly found in everyday vocabulary. Five unusual letters with the added benefit of learning something today rewarded the logical deduction with a sprinkle of curiosity.
Hint: A rare primate known for its slow movements.
Clue: The word contains more consonants than vowels.
That’s the last call before spoilers begin.
The first attempt was to guess "DEALT," which is a very balanced word with two vowels and three common consonants. The result showed one yellow letter, meaning one letter was correct but in the wrong position. This diminished the possible solutions to just over a hundred.
SPOIL was luckier for the second guess. This word tried several new letters while reusing some from the last attempt. This feedback narrowed the possibilities, almost pinpointing a single answer.
From there, it became all about joining the dots.
The final guess - LORIS - struck out on all five counts. Two rows of green tiles. The game was finished.
The word might not be that familiar to everyone. The loris is a small primate found in parts of Southeast Asia. They are noted for their large eyes that seem to be staring and slow, deliberate movements—they are often mistaken for fantasy creatures. Some instances are venomous despite their innocent looks. The slow loris secretes a toxin capable of killing flesh-eating predators or causing injury to humans if it bites. Unfortunately, many species of slow lorises are now endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal trade.
Answer: LORIS
A surprisingly interesting and educational addition to the NYT Wordle catalog. There was nothing unusual about the word hear-it; by Wordle's tradition, it is a five-letter word with no repeats and written in the usual alphabet. Yet it was unfamiliar enough to startle many players.
Also Read: Wordle Answer Today for July 17, 2025 Revealed: Hints, Strategy & Expert Walkthrough
A competitive scoring system goes as follows:
Solving it in 1 guess: 3 points
Solving it in 2 guesses: 2 points
Solving it in 3 guesses: 1 point
Solving it in 4 guesses: 0 points
Solving it in 5 guesses: -1 point
Solving it in 6 guesses: -2 points
Not solving it: -3 points
Along with that, if an opponent is beaten (say by Wordle Bot), one additional point is supplied; a tie supplies zero points, and losing deducts one.
These Fridays also add a 2X multiplier to both score and match result, hence giving more intensity.
Today's puzzle, solved three guesses later with a tie against the Bot, gains its players 2 points (1 point for solving in 3 multiplied by 2 because of Friday).
Erik: 5 points
Wordle Bot: 9 points
Here’s a table breaking down today’s NYT Wordle hints:
| Hint Type | Clue |
|---|---|
| Definition Hint | An unusual primate |
| Word Structure | Five letters |
| Vowel/Consonant Ratio | More consonants than vowels |
| Repeating Letters | None—all letters are unique |
| Letter Positions | One yellow letter from the guess “DEALT” confirmed with the guess “SPOIL.” |
| Part of Speech | Noun |
| Contextual Hint | Found in Southeast Asia, known for slow movement and large eyes |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate to hard—uncommon word, but fair letter pattern |
While the derivation of the word may have originated from Dutch to French and then to English, in some lesser acknowledged roots, the Dutch term is "loeris," which translates to "clown" or "simpleton." Perhaps this odd meaning came because of the animal visage; animal eyes are huge, and the human, placid face would seem comically or even grossly exaggerated.
Since about the 1700s, the name has been used for a few nocturnal primates, particularly those that slowly move in the treetops of Sri Lanka, India, and Southeast Asia.
These adorable animals face significant threats from logging, hunting, and the pet trade. Yet, conservation is taking place, and depending on habitat protection, the survival of these creatures remains perilously in the balance."
Also Read: Wordle Answer Today for July 16, 2025 Revealed: Hints, Strategy & Expert Walkthrough
Wordle #1490 exemplifies what this series of puzzles does well, introducing words and concepts in a new and unexpected way, which is rather satisfying. The word may not have been guessed right away, but its inclusion is a testament to one of the game’s finest attributes—illuminating words and concepts so that one gains more than just a mere challenge.
That word left an impression on the solver, who is either encountering it for the first time or recalling it from their studies in biology. The clean structure, the balanced composition of its letters, and the intriguing definition conjoin to form this puzzle as one of the outstandingly memorable entries this month.
Come back tomorrow for Wordle #1491 and another linguistic enigma.