/// DAILY THEME ///

Word Craze Daily Theme January 18, 2026 Answers

All 25 clues solved, with letter counts and a per-word breakdown. Fresh every morning.

25Clues

3-9Letters

128Total Tiles

5Tied Longest

5.1Avg Letters

/// AT A GLANCE ///

All 25 Answers at a Glance

Tap any answer to jump to its clue.

DEPRESS 7L CLASP 5L BROADCAST 9L BENT 4L ARMY 4L HOE 3L LEI 3L CAM 3L LATTE 5L ABILITIES 9L SENOR 5L UTTERED 7L ECONOMIST 9L PLATE 5L RAD 3L ESCALATOR 9L SPARETIRE 9L EBB 3L STY 3L REHAB 5L SMITE 5L CAT 3L LINE 4L ESL 3L LET 3L

The Word Craze Daily Theme January 18, 2026 has 25 clues covering 128 letter tiles, with answers running from 3 to 9 letters. The shortest answers are HOE and LEI and CAM and RAD and EBB and STY and CAT and ESL and LET at 3 letters each, while the longest are BROADCAST and ABILITIES and ECONOMIST and ESCALATOR and SPARETIRE at 9 letters each. Jump straight to the full clue table below if you need a specific answer, or browse the letter breakdown for the vowel and consonant split on every word.

Across today's 25 boards the average answer is 5.1 letters long and 9 of the answers (36%) reuse at least one letter internally. L and S and E each open 4 answers, today's most common starting letters. The best approach is to solve the shortest answers first - they unlock crossings for longer ones and tend to carry simpler picture clues. Compare with today's Trivia Daily, or return to the Word Craze hub for level and pack guides.

Every answer on this page belongs to the January 18, 2026 puzzle and matches what all Word Craze players see on that date. See also: January 17, 2026. If the app shows a different answer after a patch, check that your app is up to date - corrections appear here after the next review.

/// ANSWERS ///

All Clues and Answers

January 18, 2026 - 25 clues

#	Clue	Answer
1	To lower someone's spirits	DEPRESS 7 letters
2	Hold tight	CLASP 5 letters
3	Transmit or send out a message, often through television or radio	BROADCAST 9 letters
4	Bowed or curved away from a straight line	BENT 4 letters
5	Large group trained for war	ARMY 4 letters
6	Soil-turning tool; farmer's weeder	HOE 3 letters
7	Necklace in Native Hawaiian culture	LEI 3 letters
8	Mitch's husband on "Modern Family"	CAM 3 letters
9	Milky coffee drink	LATTE 5 letters
10	Special skills or aptitudes	ABILITIES 9 letters
11	Mexican mister	SENOR 5 letters
12	Spoke or expressed something out loud	UTTERED 7 letters
13	An expert in financial matters	ECONOMIST 9 letters
14	Knife and fork separator, in a place setting	PLATE 5 letters
15	A term that was popular in the 1980s to describe something that was cool or excellent	RAD 3 letters
16	Moving staircase as in a shopping mall	ESCALATOR 9 letters
17	Kept on a car, usually in the trunk, in case of a blowout	SPARETIRE 9 letters
18	A flowing out or recession of water	EBB 3 letters
19	Where boars are boarded	STY 3 letters
20	Place for recovering addicts to get clean	REHAB 5 letters
21	To strike with a firm blow	SMITE 5 letters
22	Pet with nine lives, they say	CAT 3 letters
23	A long, narrow mark	LINE 4 letters
24	Subj. for some immigrants	ESL 3 letters
25	"I won't ___ you down"	LET 3 letters

/// BREAKDOWN ///

Clue-by-Clue Breakdown

Letter patterns and solving tactics for each answer.

B Consonant A Vowel R Repeated

To lower someone's spirits

DEPRESS

D E P R E S S

DEPRESS fills 7 tiles - 2 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated E and S. At 7 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening D is unique in today's set.

7 letters
2 vowels
5 consonants
5 distinct

Hold tight

CLASP

C L A S P

CLASP fills 5 tiles - 1 vowel and 4 consonants. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with C, shared by 2 other answers today.

5 letters
1 vowel
4 consonants
5 distinct

Transmit or send out a message, often through television or radio

BROADCAST

B R O A D C A S T

BROADCAST fills 9 tiles - 3 vowels and 6 consonants, with a repeated A. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with B, shared by 1 other answer today.

9 letters
3 vowels
6 consonants
8 distinct

Bowed or curved away from a straight line

BENT

B E N T

BENT fills 4 tiles - 1 vowel and 3 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with B, shared by 1 other answer today.

4 letters
1 vowel
3 consonants
4 distinct

Large group trained for war

ARMY

A R M Y

ARMY fills 4 tiles - 1 vowel and 3 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with A, shared by 1 other answer today. It ends on Y, a natural wheel-closer.

4 letters
1 vowel
3 consonants
4 distinct

Soil-turning tool; farmer's weeder

HOE

H O E

HOE fills 3 tiles - 2 vowels and 1 consonant. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. Its opening H is unique in today's set.

3 letters
2 vowels
1 consonant
3 distinct

Necklace in Native Hawaiian culture

LEI

L E I

LEI fills 3 tiles - 2 vowels and 1 consonant. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with L, shared by 3 other answers today.

3 letters
2 vowels
1 consonant
3 distinct

Mitch's husband on "Modern Family"

CAM

C A M

CAM fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with C, shared by 2 other answers today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
3 distinct

Milky coffee drink

LATTE

L A T T E

LATTE fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants, with a repeated T. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with L, shared by 3 other answers today.

5 letters
2 vowels
3 consonants
4 distinct

Special skills or aptitudes

ABILITIES

A B I L I T I E S

ABILITIES fills 9 tiles - 5 vowels and 4 consonants, with a repeated I. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with A, shared by 1 other answer today.

9 letters
5 vowels
4 consonants
7 distinct

Mexican mister

SENOR

S E N O R

SENOR fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.

5 letters
2 vowels
3 consonants
5 distinct

Spoke or expressed something out loud

UTTERED

U T T E R E D

UTTERED fills 7 tiles - 3 vowels and 4 consonants, with a repeated T and E. At 7 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening U is unique in today's set. It closes on -ED.

7 letters
3 vowels
4 consonants
5 distinct

An expert in financial matters

ECONOMIST

E C O N O M I S T

ECONOMIST fills 9 tiles - 4 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated O. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with E, shared by 3 other answers today.

9 letters
4 vowels
5 consonants
8 distinct

Knife and fork separator, in a place setting

PLATE

P L A T E

PLATE fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening P is unique in today's set.

5 letters
2 vowels
3 consonants
5 distinct

A term that was popular in the 1980s to describe something that was cool or excellent

RAD

R A D

RAD fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with R, shared by 1 other answer today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
3 distinct

Moving staircase as in a shopping mall

ESCALATOR

E S C A L A T O R

ESCALATOR fills 9 tiles - 4 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated A. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with E, shared by 3 other answers today.

9 letters
4 vowels
5 consonants
8 distinct

Kept on a car, usually in the trunk, in case of a blowout

SPARETIRE

S P A R E T I R E

SPARETIRE fills 9 tiles - 4 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated R and E. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.

9 letters
4 vowels
5 consonants
7 distinct

A flowing out or recession of water

EBB

E B B

EBB fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants, with a repeated B. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with E, shared by 3 other answers today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
2 distinct

Where boars are boarded

STY

S T Y

STY fills 3 tiles - 0 vowels and 3 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today. It ends on Y, a natural wheel-closer.

3 letters
0 vowels
3 consonants
3 distinct

Place for recovering addicts to get clean

REHAB

R E H A B

REHAB fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with R, shared by 1 other answer today.

5 letters
2 vowels
3 consonants
5 distinct

To strike with a firm blow

SMITE

S M I T E

SMITE fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.

5 letters
2 vowels
3 consonants
5 distinct

Pet with nine lives, they say

CAT

C A T

CAT fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with C, shared by 2 other answers today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
3 distinct

A long, narrow mark

LINE

L I N E

LINE fills 4 tiles - 2 vowels and 2 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with L, shared by 3 other answers today.

4 letters
2 vowels
2 consonants
4 distinct

Subj. for some immigrants

ESL

E S L

ESL fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with E, shared by 3 other answers today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
3 distinct

"I won't ___ you down"

LET

L E T

LET fills 3 tiles - 1 vowel and 2 consonants. At 3 letters it is one of the shortest - bank it early to seed the longer slots. It opens with L, shared by 3 other answers today.

3 letters
1 vowel
2 consonants
3 distinct

/// HOW TO SOLVE ///

How to Solve the Word Craze Daily Theme

5 steps from open to full clear.

1
Start with the shortest clues
Short answers have fewer crossing tiles, so solving them first seeds the longer answers for free. Scan the whole board and pick out every clue whose answer runs three or four letters - those are your quickest wins and they often unlock the harder boards.
2
Treat a trailing question mark as a wordplay signal
A clue that ends in "?" is hinting at a pun, double meaning, or lateral connection rather than a straight definition. Pause, read it again as wordplay, and the answer usually surfaces fast once you shift your mental frame.
3
Count the tile slots before you commit
Each answer slot shows you how many letters the answer has. Before typing, count the tiles and match them to your candidate word. A word that is one letter too long or too short is wrong no matter how good it looks. Let the letter count filter your options first.
4
Break compound answers into two halves
Many Daily Theme answers are compound words or two-part phrases. If the picture clue shows two distinct objects, name each one and fuse them. Splitting the answer at its natural seam often bypasses the need to know the exact word upfront.
5
Study the picture, not just the text
The picture clue and the text clue together define the answer, but they are not redundant - each half adds information the other omits. Read the text, then examine the image for any detail the text left unnamed. The answer is always the concept where both overlap.

/// FAQ ///

Frequently Asked Questions

9 questions about the January 18, 2026 Daily Theme.

How many clues are in the Word Craze Daily Theme for January 18, 2026?

The January 18, 2026 Daily Theme has 25 clues across 128 total letter tiles.

What is the longest answer in the January 18, 2026 Daily Theme?

BROADCAST and ABILITIES and ECONOMIST and ESCALATOR and SPARETIRE are all tied as the longest at 9 letters each.

What is the shortest answer in the January 18, 2026 Daily Theme?

HOE and LEI and CAM and RAD and EBB and STY and CAT and ESL and LET all tie for shortest at 3 letters each.

Are the Daily Theme answers the same for everyone?

Yes. Every Word Craze player receives the same Daily Theme clues and answers on the same calendar date, regardless of device or region.

What time does the Word Craze Daily Theme reset?

The Daily Theme refreshes at midnight in your local time zone. A new set of clues becomes available the moment the calendar date changes on your device.

Can I play older Daily Theme puzzles?

The game only shows the current day's puzzle, but this site archives past dates. Return to the Word Craze section to find any previous set.

How many total letter tiles are in today's Daily Theme?

Today's 25 clues contain 128 letter tiles in total, with individual answers ranging from 3 to 9 letters.

Do you lose your Daily Theme progress if you close the app?

Word Craze saves your progress automatically. Closing and reopening the app within the same calendar day restores exactly where you left off.

Who compiles these answers?

The answers on this page are compiled and edited by Marco Alvarez, Senior Puzzle Editor at Puzzle Solved, who matches each clue to its answer and checks the letter count against the tile slots in the app before publishing.

/// ABOUT ///

About This Puzzle

How the Daily Theme works and how this page is produced.

The Word Craze Daily Theme is a daily picture-and-trivia puzzle released every morning by Betta Games. It is a distinct format from the Trivia Daily: each Daily Theme consists of picture clues anchored to a shared topic, where solving one answer often helps unlock the next through crossing tile slots. Every set of answers belongs to its specific calendar date and cannot be replayed on a different day inside the app.

Every answer is verified against the tile slots shown in the app. If the game updates a clue or answer mid-day, the correction appears here on the next review cycle.

Return to the Word Craze section home for level guides, pack answers, and more daily puzzles. Independent fan resource, not affiliated with Betta Games.

/// NEARBY DATES ///

Recent Daily Themes

Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 17 Jan 18

Rate this page

Stay in the loop

/// DISCUSSION ///

Community Discussion

No answers yet - be the first to comment.