"Wordle" today #1,278 answer, hints and clues for Wednesday, December 18

One of the reasons Wordle remains so popular three years after its release is because it's a game that invites conversation.

Not only that, the rules are also quite easy to understand, so it is accessible for many people all over the world.

"I really like that Wordle has a simplistic nature, which makes it widely accessible to players of all ages. It also has a daily variety of challenges, which is perhaps another reason that it continues to be so popular," linguistics expert and Babbel Live teacher Noël Wolf told Newsweek in October.

"Wordle's shareability across various social-media platforms fosters a sense of belonging and common ground that can transcend cultures and borders. Friends and family members who live far apart, or even in different countries, can use it to stay connected," she said.

The game elicits "daily conversations" among players and "offers a daily break from our high-paced lives," said Wolf.

Newsweek has provided some clues below for today's puzzle. The answer will be revealed at the end of this article, so please scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.

How to Play 'Wordle'

Players must identify a mystery five-letter word by using a process of elimination to work out the answer.

They are helped along with a color-tiled system, with green indicating that the letter appears in the word; yellow indicating the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot; and a gray tile meaning that letter does not appear at all.

Wordle #1,278, Clues for Wednesday, December 18

Hint #1: Today's answer is an adjective.

Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.

Hint #3: It contains one vowel.

Hint #4: Synonyms include "heavy" and "massive."

Hint #5: You'll have a 'substantial' Wordle win streak if you stick with our clues to help you solve the game.

Wordle #1,278, Answer for Wednesday, December 18

The answer to today's Wordle is "hefty."

According to Merriam-Webster, it is defined as "quite heavy," "marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength," or "impressively large."

Well, that was a fun one! Did you get the right answer? If so, congratulations, but please don't worry if not.

Wordle updates every day at midnight in your local time zone, at which point the next puzzle becomes available. Newsweek will be back with another round of hints and tips for each new game.

In the meantime, you could try your hand at Connections—another popular game from The New York Times, for which Newsweek also provides daily hints.