/// DAILY THEME ///
Word Craze Daily Theme May 16, 2026 Answers
All 16 clues solved, with letter counts and a per-word breakdown. Fresh every morning.
/// AT A GLANCE ///
All 16 Answers at a Glance
Tap any answer to jump to its clue.
The Word Craze Daily Theme May 16, 2026 has 16 clues covering 96 letter tiles, with answers running from 3 to 8 letters. The shortest answer is PRO at 3 letters, while the longest are UPSETTER and PRESERVE and POETRIES and CRUPPERS and PATERSON at 8 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 16 boards the average answer is 6 letters long and 10 of the answers (63%) reuse at least one letter internally. P and S 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 May 16, 2026 puzzle and matches what all Word Craze players see on that date. See also: May 15, 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
May 16, 2026 - 16 clues
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Like porcelain dolls you just know are staring right at you | CREEPY 6 letters |
| 2 | Gangsters' heaters | GATS 4 letters |
| 3 | Cinderella team, e.g. | UPSETTER 8 letters |
| 4 | Where game is protected | PRESERVE 8 letters |
| 5 | Literary collections of meter | POETRIES 8 letters |
| 6 | Without a doubt | SURE 4 letters |
| 7 | Gathering clouds, to some | OMEN 4 letters |
| 8 | V-formation group | SKEIN 5 letters |
| 9 | Straps passing under horses' tails | CRUPPERS 8 letters |
| 10 | Void, as waste | EGEST 5 letters |
| 11 | City in New Jersey | PATERSON 8 letters |
| 12 | Element No. 39 | YTTRIUM 7 letters |
| 13 | Like some thunderstorms | SEVERE 6 letters |
| 14 | Quid ___ quo (fair exchange) | PRO 3 letters |
| 15 | Rage below the surface | SEETHE 6 letters |
| 16 | Harbor a grudge about | RESENT 6 letters |
/// BREAKDOWN ///
Clue-by-Clue Breakdown
Letter patterns and solving tactics for each answer.
CREEPY fills 6 tiles - 2 vowels and 4 consonants, with a repeated E. At 6 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with C, shared by 1 other answer today. It ends on Y, a natural wheel-closer.
- 6 letters
- 2 vowels
- 4 consonants
- 5 distinct
GATS fills 4 tiles - 1 vowel and 3 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening G is unique in today's set.
- 4 letters
- 1 vowel
- 3 consonants
- 4 distinct
UPSETTER fills 8 tiles - 3 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated E and T. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. Its opening U is unique in today's set.
- 8 letters
- 3 vowels
- 5 consonants
- 6 distinct
PRESERVE fills 8 tiles - 3 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 P, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 8 letters
- 3 vowels
- 5 consonants
- 5 distinct
POETRIES fills 8 tiles - 4 vowels and 4 consonants, with a repeated E. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with P, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 8 letters
- 4 vowels
- 4 consonants
- 7 distinct
SURE fills 4 tiles - 2 vowels and 2 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 4 letters
- 2 vowels
- 2 consonants
- 4 distinct
OMEN fills 4 tiles - 2 vowels and 2 consonants. At 4 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening O is unique in today's set.
- 4 letters
- 2 vowels
- 2 consonants
- 4 distinct
SKEIN 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
CRUPPERS fills 8 tiles - 2 vowels and 6 consonants, with a repeated R and P. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with C, shared by 1 other answer today.
- 8 letters
- 2 vowels
- 6 consonants
- 6 distinct
EGEST fills 5 tiles - 2 vowels and 3 consonants, with a repeated E. At 5 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening E is unique in today's set.
- 5 letters
- 2 vowels
- 3 consonants
- 4 distinct
PATERSON fills 8 tiles - 3 vowels and 5 consonants. It ties for the longest answer today, so leave it until crossings feed its letters. It opens with P, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 8 letters
- 3 vowels
- 5 consonants
- 8 distinct
YTTRIUM fills 7 tiles - 2 vowels and 5 consonants, with a repeated T. At 7 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening Y is unique in today's set.
- 7 letters
- 2 vowels
- 5 consonants
- 6 distinct
SEVERE fills 6 tiles - 3 vowels and 3 consonants, with a repeated E. At 6 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 6 letters
- 3 vowels
- 3 consonants
- 4 distinct
PRO 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 P, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 3 letters
- 1 vowel
- 2 consonants
- 3 distinct
SEETHE fills 6 tiles - 3 vowels and 3 consonants, with a repeated E. At 6 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. It opens with S, shared by 3 other answers today.
- 6 letters
- 3 vowels
- 3 consonants
- 4 distinct
RESENT fills 6 tiles - 2 vowels and 4 consonants, with a repeated E. At 6 letters it locks in fast once one crossing tile lands. Its opening R is unique in today's set.
- 6 letters
- 2 vowels
- 4 consonants
- 5 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.
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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.
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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 May 16, 2026 Daily Theme.
How many clues are in the Word Craze Daily Theme for May 16, 2026?
What is the longest answer in the May 16, 2026 Daily Theme?
What is the shortest answer in the May 16, 2026 Daily Theme?
Are the Daily Theme answers the same for everyone?
What time does the Word Craze Daily Theme reset?
Can I play older Daily Theme puzzles?
How many total letter tiles are in today's Daily Theme?
Do you lose your Daily Theme progress if you close the app?
Who compiles these answers?
/// 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.
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/// DISCUSSION ///
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