Shrinkle

About Shrinkle

Shrinkle is a free browser word game inspired by Wordle but built on subtraction rather than guessing. The first puzzle went out on 28 July 2025, and each later day has its own number, the same for every player.

A puzzle starts with two words. For each one you click a letter to delete it, and the remaining letters, in the same order, must form a real word. The first puzzle, for example, started from VALLEYS, which can shrink to VALLEY, ALLEY, ALLY and finally ALL. Each starting word has several paths, and the game nudges you when you find a valid word that is off the target route.

Follow both words down their longest chains and the two last words form the day's hidden phrase. A new puzzle arrives at midnight, a streak counter tracks consecutive days, and the archive lets you play every earlier puzzle. The site shows ads.

It suits players who enjoy word ladders and anagram-style puzzles and want something short with a small reveal at the end.

How to play Shrinkle

1. Open Shrinkle to see today's two starting words.
2. Click a letter in the first word to remove it.
3. Check that the letters left still make a real word, and keep removing one letter at a time.
4. Do the same with the second word.
5. Reach the end of both chains to reveal the hidden phrase.

Tips

• Plural S and endings like Y or E are often the first letters you can drop.
• If you land on a valid word that is not on the target path, step back and try another letter.
• Think about the phrase: once one end word is known, it can hint at the other.

Questions