Wordle puzzle #1,738, which landed on Monday, March 23, 2026, asked players to identify a word closely associated with fonts and typography. If you're still working through it or just want to confirm your guess, here's everything you need.
Quick answer: The Wordle answer for March 23, 2026 (puzzle #1,738) is SERIF.
Wordle #1,738 Hints
If you'd rather work toward the solution on your own before scrolling down to the reveal, these progressive clues should help narrow things down without giving it all away at once.
| Hint | Detail |
|---|---|
| Repeated letters | None — every letter in the answer is unique |
| Number of vowels | Two |
| First letter | S |
| Last letter | F |
| Meaning | The small decorative strokes or lines attached to the ends of larger strokes in certain typefaces |
Why SERIF Was Tricky
SERIF is one of those words most people have encountered — especially anyone who has fiddled with font settings in a word processor — but it rarely comes to mind when you're staring at a five-letter grid. The unusual letter combination, ending in F, makes it hard to stumble onto through typical starting words. The E and I sitting in the middle can also mislead you into chasing more common patterns like -ERIN or -ERIT before you land on the right ending.
A serif, in typography, refers to the small lines or feet that extend from the main strokes of a letter. Fonts like Times New Roman have them; fonts like Arial do not (those are called "sans-serif," meaning "without serif"). Knowing that definition was the fastest path to cracking this puzzle.
Recent Wordle Answers Near March 23
Avoiding recently used answers can help you eliminate possibilities faster. Here's what Wordle served up in the days surrounding puzzle #1,738.
| Date | Puzzle # | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| March 18 | 1,733 | AMPLY |
| March 19 | 1,734 | REHAB |
| March 20 | 1,735 | OASIS |
| March 21 | 1,736 | SLICK |
| March 22 | 1,737 | BASIL |
| March 23 | 1,738 | SERIF |
Starter Word Strategy for Tough Puzzles Like This
Words ending in F are relatively uncommon in Wordle's answer pool, which is exactly why they catch people off guard. A strong opening word won't always reveal that final consonant, but it can lock down vowels and high-frequency letters early enough to give you room to experiment. Picking a starter that includes at least two different vowels alongside common consonants like S, T, R, or N tends to yield the most useful feedback on your first turn.
Some reliable openers worth rotating through: STARE, TRAIN, CLOSE, ADIEU, and NOISE. Each one covers a different spread of vowels and consonants, so switching between them from day to day can keep your solving instincts sharp.
Wordle refreshes daily with a new five-letter word at midnight in your local time zone. You can play it on the New York Times Games page, and past puzzles are accessible through the NYT Wordle Archive for Games subscribers. Whether SERIF gave you trouble or you nailed it in two, there's always tomorrow's puzzle waiting.