How to play Warmer

Follow the meaning

• Type a word and press Guess, or Enter on your keyboard. Rank 1 is the answer. Smaller ranks mean closer meanings.
• Your list sorts itself by closeness, with the best word at the top. The thermometer follows your best rank, so it keeps your progress even when you try a cooler word.
• Warmer and colder compare your latest guess with the previous guess. Start broadly, then explore a promising theme.
• Think of things used together, places, actions and opposites. Related words can be close without being synonyms. Spelling does not affect the rank.

The hint ladder

Stuck? Four hints reveal words ranked 300, 100, 30 and 10, in that order. Each hint adds a word to your list and is recorded in your share result. A hint may be a word you have already tried: it confirms that stepping stone in the trail.

Words and plurals

We accept everyday words from our filtered word list, with no proper nouns. Ordinary unambiguous plurals share their base word's rank. If a word is not in our list, try another. A repeated word does not count as a new valid guess.

Scoring and finishing

There is no time penalty. A solve earns 1,000 points, minus 2 for each valid guess after the first and 100 per hint, with a minimum of 100. Unknown and repeated words cost no points, but every lookup uses one of your 300 daily tries. Reaching that limit or choosing Reveal and finish ends the round for 0 points and shows the word.

How the ranks work

The ranks use word meanings derived from how words appear together in writing. Each word has one fixed rank for the day. The same word always gives the same rank, and hints use that same ranking. Opposites can be close because they are used to describe the same things. There is exactly one rank-1 answer.

A new trail every day

A fresh word arrives at midnight UK time. If you already have the old day open, you have 30 minutes to finish it. Recent closed days can be replayed from the calendar for practice. Practice affects neither your daily score nor your streak.

See the Warmer answers archive for finished words and their hint ladders, or visit our daily games for another puzzle.

Frequently asked questions

What does rank 1 mean?

Rank 1 is the one secret word. Every other word has a different rank, with smaller numbers meaning closer meanings.

Is Warmer timed?

No. Take your time. Your score depends on valid guesses and hints, with up to 300 daily lookups.

Do hints cost points?

Each hint costs 100 points and is noted in your share result. The four hints reveal ranks 300, 100, 30 and 10.

Is Warmer free?

Yes. Play in your browser, on a phone or computer, with nothing to install and no account to make.

When does the next word arrive?

At midnight UK time, GMT in winter and BST in summer.

Why can related words seem surprising?

The ranks reflect word usage. Opposites, objects used together and words with several meanings can be neighbours. Try a different theme or open a hint when a trail feels cold.