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flash

/flæʃ/
verbnounadjective

FLASH is a Wordle answer that scores 11 points in Scrabble, with F and H worth 4 apiece, and it has eight one-letter neighbours.

NWL Collins ENABLE Wordle answer list

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.

    “He flashed the light at the water, trying to see what made the noise.”

  2. To blink; to shine or illuminate intermittently.

    “The light flashed on and off.”

  3. To be visible briefly.

    “The scenery flashed by quickly.”

  4. To make visible briefly.

    “A number will be flashed on the screen.”

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A sudden, short, temporary burst of light.

  2. A very short amount of time.

  3. A flashlight; an electric torch.

  4. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of genius or wit.

Adjective 2 meanings

  1. Having plenty of ready money.

  2. Liable to show off expensive possessions or money.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

In some senses, from Middle English flasshen, a variant of flasken, flaskien (“to sprinkle, splash”), which was likely of imitative origin; in other senses probably of North Germanic origin akin to Swedish dialectal flasa (“to burn brightly, blaze”), related to flare.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
glintbeepgleaminstantjiffytwinklebitcrack
Opposite
aeonspellageageseldeon

FLASH is a sudden, short burst of light, a very brief moment, or the torch you carry in a pocket. At rank 3,233 it is known but less frequent than most Wordle answers. The two 4-point tiles at each end make it a strong little word for a premium-square play.

FLASH in short

  • Five letters: F, L, A, S, H.
  • The base score is 11; F and H together carry 8 of it.
  • Eight neighbours exist, among them FLESH, CLASH, FLUSH and SLASH.
  • The one anagram is HALFS, and the word is on the Wordle answer list.

Is FLASH a good Wordle guess?

FLASH sits on the answer list and works as a guess too. Its five letters are all different, but the lone vowel A leaves E, I, O and U untested, which is the main weakness.

With eight neighbours, a half-solved row such as _LASH or FL_SH keeps several words alive: FLESH, FLUSH, CLASH and SLASH all fit. A throwaway guess that tests the missing letters can split them.

How do the neighbours of FLASH compare on points?

The eight include FLESH, CLASH, FLUSH, SLASH, FLASK and PLASH. Swapping the A for an E or U keeps the total at 11, so FLESH and FLUSH tie with FLASH. FLASK edges ahead at 12 because K is worth 5, while CLASH drops to 10 and SLASH to 8.

Most are everyday words. Only PLASH is unfamiliar enough that you should check your game’s word list before playing it.

How does FLASH rank in pattern lists?

Of 12,789 five-letter words, 583 start with F, about 5 percent, and 364 end in H, about 3 percent. The -ASH tail links FLASH to CASH, CRASH, WASH, TRASH and SMASH in spelling. A final H is the rarer half of that pair, so a known last letter cuts the list quickly.

Rhymes with flash

All rhymes

One letter away

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Questions people ask

Is flash a Wordle answer?
Yes, FLASH can be the solution as well as a guess. With eight one-letter neighbours, a partly green row can leave several candidates alive, so plan a follow-up guess that separates them.
How many points is flash worth in Scrabble?
FLASH is worth 11 on tiles alone. Two 4-point tiles, F and H, bracket three 1-pointers. Doubling either heavy tile with a letter square lifts the total to 15.
What is the anagram of flash?
FLASH has one anagram, HALFS. It uses the same five letters and scores 11 as well, but it is much rarer than FLASH and not a word most players recognise.

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