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Fans boost Alex Eala to first WTA title

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER GIANT SLAIN Alexandra Eala can nowrelax with her Mubadala DC Open championship trophy after her third-set mastery of Jessica Pegula of the United States (right photo) at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington. —AFPANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER GIANT SLAIN Alexandra Eala can nowrelax with her Mubadala DC Open championship trophy after her third-set mastery of Jessica Pegula of the United States (right photo) at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington. —AFP
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER GIANT SLAIN Alexandra “Alex” Eala can now relax with her Mubadala DC Open championship trophy after her third-set mastery of Jessica Pegula of the United States (right photo) at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington. —Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala kept the country up until the wee hours on Monday as she picked off the last top 10-ranked player in the world left in the Mubadala DC Open, with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Jessica Pegula of the United States.

The comeback win gave Eala her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour championship—and a newly elevated place in Philippine sports history.

READ: Alex Eala, Filipino fans make rare Monday final one to remember

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No other Filipino—man or woman—has won a tennis title at this level, and Eala has taken along an entire nation for the ride. More fans started following her especially after her breakout tournament in Miami last year, and now in Washington DC even television analysts were left dumbfounded by her feat.

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“To all my supporters, thank you, guys,” Eala had said in a post-match interview. “Especially to the Filipino community here in DC and back home, wherever you are in the world. I really feel all the love, ’Maraming, maraming salamat, mga kababayan.’”

Currently ranked No. 3 in the world, Pegula came in as the top-seeded player in the tournament—but was now added to Eala’s conquests in elite level competitions.

Leading to the finals, Eala’s ascent to superstardom has the internet buzzing with all kinds of praise from some of the game’s best players of all time.

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READ: Alex Eala glows in championship photoshoot after DC Open title

She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands when she converted on the second championship point, as the victory formalized her arrival as a legitimate force and shut down all talk that she doesn’t have the game to win because of her serve.

She actually won the last nine games of the contest, surrendering just eight points in the third set in blanking the seasoned Pegula.

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“Just pure happiness,” Eala said of her first title, which came after she agonizingly failed to convert four championship points in her only prior final at Eastbourne last year.

“Oh my gosh, winning a (WTA) 500 (level), it’s insane. It’s an incredible milestone for me,” she added.

“At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. Even at the beginning of the year,” Eala said. “These things kind of creep up on you and I hold these moments really close to me.”

Storming run

With her latest win, Eala rises to a career-high 20th in the world rankings after a relentless run that claimed the scalps of Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, second-seeded Elina Svitolina, third-seeded former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.

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“It was a very steep hill,” she said. “I knew that the competition was super-strong and my draw was quite tough. So I’m really, really proud. I think I encountered my fair share of obstacles this week.”

The scoreboard showed a match time of one hour and 45 minutes, but it took nearly 24 hours to complete.

Pegula had won the first set 6-4, and Eala was up 2-1 in the second on Sunday when officials decided to postpone the finish until Monday due to lengthy rain delays.

The pair waited through a three-hour delay before starting, and once the match was halted, it was another five hours before officials called a halt for the day.

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“Definitely felt like two different matches,” said Pegula, who opened Monday’s action with a nervy service hold for 2-2.

“I just felt like I couldn’t find my rhythm. I think I was playing much better yesterday, for whatever reason, than I was today, and I think she was playing better today than she was yesterday.”

Eala also had to work hard to keep herself ready during the long break.

“I think I warmed up like a thousand times,” the Filipino ace said. “A lot of unpredictable swings with the weather, and I want to thank the tournament for just, you know, being so accommodating, helping us through it and, you know, arranging this Monday final was really great.

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“It was difficult, I think, [but] at the same time, it’s happened to me a lot, you know, rain delays.

All Alex in the 3rd

“I think this is just kind of another one of those, although it [had] a lot higher stakes. But I think I was able to take my time and kind of take those learnings from the first half of the match and do my best to apply them in the second, and I think it worked pretty well.”

Pegula could make no inroads on Eala’s serve, and Eala broke Pegula in the 10th game to take the second set and force a third.

The final set was all Eala, to the delight of a vocal contingent of supporters, which turned out in force despite the postponement.

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Pegula welcomed the energy of the crowd even in support of her opponent, who has proved a massive draw around the world.

“I just think it’s so refreshing and nice to see how well she’s handled all of the kind of fandom and stardom that’s come with her being from the Philippines and how they’ve really embraced her,” Pegula said.

“It’s crazy how she deals with it every single week, which just shows her maturity as a player and as a person.”

Both players will now head to Toronto, where two-time champion Pegula is the third seed and Eala is seeded 25th in the WTA 1000 hard court event.

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Cheers, no jynx, from Marcos

In Manila, President Marcos, who last week praised Eala in his State of the Nation Address, again congratulated the new Filipino star athlete.

“Alex Eala does it again. The Philippines now has its first WTA 500 champion,” Marcos said in a post on his official Facebook account on Tuesday. The Filipino nation joins you in celebrating this latest achievement. Mabuhay ka, Alex!”

She continued “to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits,” the President added.

According to Palace press officer Claire Castro, however, the President opted not to watch Eala’s matches live at the Mubadala DC Open “because he might bring bad luck if he watches her games in real time.”

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Senator-judges ‘united’

At the Senate, Sen. Francis Escudero, the presiding officer of the impeachment court trying Vice President Sara Duterte, conveyed the chamber’s congratulations before the start of Tuesday’s hearing.

“Our views may differ. Although both sides are competing here in the impeachment court, there are things that we should agree on and be united about, especially those who stayed up late last night watching TV,” Escudero said.

“And for me, one of these is the victory and championship of our talented and brave compatriot Alex Eala in the DC Open,” he said, drawing applause from his fellow senator-judges and those in the gallery.

“We are so proud of you and we celebrate your victory. Congratulations, Alex,” he said, adding in jest: “If there’s a sleepy senator-judge, [he/she] probably watched it last night.”

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Several other senators also filed resolutions commending Eala for her latest championship. —WITH REPORTS FROM DEXTER CABALZA, AND TINA G. SANTOS

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2028 Championship Series rollout continues with 5th confirmed event

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Alex Eala aims to continue winning ways in Toronto vs Alycia Parks

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Alex Eala vs Alycia Parks Canadian Open

Alex Eala of the Philippines returns a shot during a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Fresh off winning her first WTA Tour title, Alex Eala seeks to carry her momentum into the Canadian Open.

Eala is riding high after claiming the biggest title of her career at the DC Open on Tuesday and she looks to continue her winning ways against American Alycia Parks in the round of 64 in Toronto on Thursday, 8:10 a.m. (Manila time), at Center Court.

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READ: Alex Eala: Filipino dreamer to WTA winner

The Filipino ace, who got a first-round bye as the 25th seed in the WTA 1000 hard court tournament, takes on her Australian Open tormentor, Parks.

Eala was beaten by Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, in the opening round in Melbourne last January.

The 21-year-old Eala, however, is playing her best tennis yet this season with a historic run at Wimbledon and a maiden WTA 500 crown in Washington when she stunned American World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final.

The Filipino trailblazer, who is now the World No. 20, dazzled in DC, rallying past Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the first two rounds and sweeping second seed Elina Svitolina, and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively, before defeating Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the title round.

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READ: Alex Eala just getting started after WTA Tour breakthrough title

Parks took down qualifier Victoria Kasintseva, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the Canadian Open, also known as the National Bank Open.

If Eala, the heavy favorite, handles Parks, she moves on to face either Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova or American Caty McNally in the second round.

Eala bowed out in the round of 128 of the Canadian Open last year in Montreal, losing to Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6.

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Mets Best Guardians – Yahoo Sports

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Joey Cantillo and the Cleveland Guardians took the field against the New York Mets, the day after a successful trade deadline. The pieces have been moved and the Guardians got a first look at the rest of the season.

Unfortunately for Joey, the Mets were on their better game. Joey looked like he was struggling with control, pitching a bit wild, and a throwing error in the second wasn’t helpful. With two outs, Gabriel Arias made a throwing error to first that allowed Marcus Semien to reach. The next batter walked and the batter after him hit a three-run home run on a 90.9 mph four seamer down the middle. Cantillo ended the night having gone 5.0 innings. He allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks and struck out five.

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Slade Cecconi came on in the sixth in his new role in the bullpen. Slade went 2.2 innings, allowing a solo home run, two hits, and striking out four batters. Tim Herrin finished the eighth and closed the game, only walking one batter.

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Recent acquisition Jo Adell went 2-for-4 with a run and a walk. He also reached on a error. In the bottom of the third Adell doubled to lead off the inning. Chase DeLauter drew a walk and, with one out, Angel Martínez slapped a double to left that bounced off of the foul line on the walk to score Adell from second.

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With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Chase DeLauter singled on a sharp liner to left. Angel Martínez, with now two outs, drew a walk. Travis Bazzana hit a RBI single up the center, through both defenders to score CDL for the Guards’ final run of the night.

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On a night where there are a lot of frustrating little mistakes and issues that piled up to a loss, there were some positives. Jo Adell looks to be a good addition that the team needed. Chase DeLauter is an on base machine, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Steven Kwan is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game.

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These two teams will face off again tomorrow at 6:40PM EDT. It will be a righty face off with Christian Scott and Tanner Bibee starting for their teams.

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Vindicated Aaron Rodgers primed for one last run at elusive second ring in walk-off season with Steelers

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LATROBE, Pa. — Does Aaron Rodgers still have what it takes to finally capture that elusive second Super Bowl ring? For Steelers defensive back Brandin Echols, that question is downright laughable. 

“Oh yeah, of course,” Echols told CBS Sports following Tuesday’s training camp practice. “Sometimes, he calls out stuff I’m doing, and I’m like, ‘Bro, how’d you even call this out? I didn’t even show an inch of what I’m gonna do!’ That just shows the type of IQ he has for the game.”   

New Steelers running back Rico Dowdle, who previously played with Dak Prescott in Dallas, hasn’t needed much time with Rodgers to come to a consensus on how good Rodgers is heading into his age-42 season.  

Clearly, Rodgers’ teammates still see greatness in the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Their belief appears to be well warranted, as there are several reasons to believe that a special season may be in store for the Steelers and Rodgers, who has already announced that the upcoming season will be his last.

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Silencing his critics 

The biggest story so far from Steelers training camp took place about 200 or so yards away from the practice field on Monday afternoon, when Aaron Rodgers went on a fiery diatribe that included challenging his critics to find another way to try to dent his armor. 

Based on his comments on “The Pat McAfee Show,” it’s safe to say that Rodgers feels vindicated and either no longer feels the sting of past criticisms or simply doesn’t care anymore. He’s at peace with who he is on and off the field and the legacy that he’s built across a lengthy and decorated career. Mental clarity is a valuable thing, and it’s something that Rodgers appears to have in spades. 

Rodgers enters his final NFL season a happily married man. He’s reunited with his family after a prolonged estrangement. And based on his comments on Monday, he clearly feels that his stance on COVID — and the handling of it — has been justified. 

From a football standpoint, Rodgers has quelled the narrative that he hasn’t been a good teammate during his time in Pittsburgh. He’s playing for a team that believes in his ability to lead it to the promised land, and for a coach whom he reached the mountaintop with during the crowning moment of their careers. 

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Sound mind and body 

Rodgers also has two other things at his disposal: his legendary throwing touch and the mind of a four-time league MVP who has seen every conceivable scenario one can envision on a football field. 

Unfortunately for athletes, the body often goes well before the mind does. If anything, a player’s mental prime is later than their physical one. Fortunately for Rodgers, his ageless arm and razor-sharp mind have helped him overcompensate for some of the physical things one loses with age. 

Rodgers is trying to become the fourth starting quarterback over 38 to win a Super Bowl, joining Tom BradyPeyton Manning and John Elway. Manning largely leaned on his mind when he and the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. Brady still had plenty of physical gifts when he won two Super Bowls after turning 40, but he also relied greatly on his football IQ during those last championship seasons. Elway walked away at age 38 after winning back-to-back titles. Rodgers has both the physical and mental tools to join all three. 

Rodgers also has the leadership qualities that will undoubtedly be needed if the Steelers are going to make a serious Super Bowl run. Clearly comfortable in his own skin, Rodgers isn’t afraid to be direct with his teammates, who by all account are embracing his leadership style. 

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“A-Rod takes every day the same,” Echols said. “High intensity, very vocal. From an offensive or defensive side, he’s trying to bring out everybody’s best.”    

A talented supporting cast 

Obviously, Manning and Brady were on talanted teams that helped them win those Super Bowls. The Steelers are nobody’s pick to win the Super Bowl, but they nonetless have the talent to complement Rodgers. 

While it was a year late, the Steelers finally upgraded their receiving corps this offseason with Michael Pittman, Dowdle (who is expected to be a key component in the passing game) and rookie Germie Bernard. Rodgers has also continued to strengthen his rapport with DK Metcalf (who continues to be Rodgers’ unquestioned primary option) and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Roman Wilson, after two tumultous seasons, has had a strong training camp and at this point has a firm hold of the starting slot position. 

Rodgers also has a young, promising offensive line in front of him and the talented running back duo of Dowdle and Jaylen Warren behind him. Warren told CBS Sports that his individual goal is to run for over 1,000 yards for the first time, and he feels that Dowdle is capable of topping 1,000, too. 

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“Great addition for us,” Warren said of Dowdle, who has run for over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons. “He’s definitely a dude. I’m excited to work him him. … Our O-line, they’ve definitely built that chemistry. Everybody’s on the same page.” 

Defensively, the Steelers don’t appear to be negatively impacted by the fact that they no longer have a defensive-oriented head coach. In fact, it appears to be the opposite. 

Led by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the Steelers’ defense made a bevy of notable plays during the first two days of padded practice. That was the case even with the absence of defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr

From a coaching standpoint, Mike McCarthy has given the Steelers the revitalization that Mike Tomlin himself acknowledged might be needed when he decided to step away after 19 seasons. But while the coach might be different, the goal remains the same. 

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“It’s different, but ultimately it’s the same message,” Warren said. “Everybody is trying to win the Super Bowl.” 

Super Bowl? For a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in a decade? While that is indeed a lofty goal, it’s worth noting that Manning’s Broncos and Brady’s Buccaneers weren’t trendy Super Bowl picks. In fact, the defending champion Seahawks were not a popular choice to win it all this time a year ago. The NFL has achieved its goal of parity, and the result is that more teams than ever are capable of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

That may be true, but it’s also still true that — in this era of passing — you need a talented quarterback if you are going to have a chance at climbing the mountaintop. Rodgers has already done that once, and he is more than capable of doing it one more time for a franchise that is hoping to recapture its past glory. 

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Today’s Quordle Answers and Hints for August 05, 2026

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Quordle Answers (August 05, 2026): Struggling to solve today’s Quordle? No worries. We have today’s Quordle hints and answers for you to solve it on your own!

If you’re a fan of word puzzles, you probably already know that Quordle is a more challenging version of Wordle. Instead of guessing just one word, Quordle requires you to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts.

We’ll offer a few hints to nudge you in the right direction for solving today’s Quordle (August 05, 2026) on your own. If you’re still struggling, we’ll reveal the Quordle answers as well.

Oh, and yes, we also have today’s answers for Quordle Chill and Quordle Extreme modes. And if you still want more, we have the answers for Quordle Sequence and the Quordle Weekly Challenge.

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Ready to tackle today’s Quordle? Let’s dive in!

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Quordle answers.

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PS: We’re revealing the Quordle answers for Wednesday, August 05, 2026. If you’re looking for yesterday’s answers, find Quordle answers for Tuesday, August 4, 2026 here .

Today’s Daily Quordle Hints

Let’s start with the Daily Quordle. Here are a few hints to help you solve the puzzles:

Daily Quordle Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

  • The first word (top-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
  • The second word (top-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
  • The third word (bottom-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!

Daily Quordle Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

  • The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
  • The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
  • The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters

Daily Quordle Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

  • The first word (top-left) starts with “”.
  • The second word (top-right) starts with “”.
  • The third word (bottom-left) starts with “”.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “”.

If you still need help with today’s Quordle Answer, you can try our Wordle Solver. Although it was built for Wordle, it can still help you narrow down the possible answers for Quordle as well.


Today’s Daily Quordle Answers

Spoiler alert: The Daily Quordle answers for today are provided below.

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Are you ready?

Today’s Quordle answers for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

If you managed to crack all four, great job! If not, don’t sweat it—there’s always another chance with tomorrow’s puzzles. If you can’t wait till tomorrow, the Quordle game has many modes that you can try today. And yes, we have the answers and hints to help you out here as well.


Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Hints

The Daily: Chill mode gives you 12 tries to get the 4 words. Here are some Quordle hints to help you get started.

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Quordle Chill Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

  • The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
  • The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
  • The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 3 vowels.

Quordle Chill Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

  • The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
  • The second word (top-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
  • The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice

Quordle Chill Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

  • The first word (top-left) starts with “A”.
  • The second word (top-right) starts with “L”.
  • The third word (bottom-left) starts with “D”.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “U”.

Those are today’s Quordle hints for the Daily: Chill mode.


Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Answers

If you haven’t solved it yet, we have the Quordle answers for the Chill mode right here.

Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Chill mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

Let’s look at the Quordle hints and answers for the Daily Extreme mode next.

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Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Hints

Let’s look at the Quordle hints for the Extreme mode. Please note that you only have 8 tries!

Quordle Extreme Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

  • The first word (top-left) has 1 vowel.
  • The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
  • The third word (bottom-left) has 1 vowel.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.

Quordle Extreme Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

  • The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
  • The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
  • The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice

Quordle Extreme Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

  • The first word (top-left) starts with “T”.
  • The second word (top-right) starts with “V”.
  • The third word (bottom-left) starts with “S”.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “K”.

If you’re still working on it, the Quordle answers for the Extreme mode are the next thing you’ll see.


Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Answers

If you didn’t get a single answer, I hope you have four turns remaining. You will need them to enter the Quordle Extreme answers that are shared below.

Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Extreme mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

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Today’s Quordle Sequence Hints

You’ve got 10 chances to solve Sequence, but be strategic and don’t waste them all on your first guess. Check out these hints to help you:

Quordle Sequence Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

  • The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
  • The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
  • The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.

Quordle Sequence Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

  • The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
  • The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
  • The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters

Quordle Sequence Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

  • The first word (top-left) starts with “F”.
  • The second word (top-right) starts with “S”.
  • The third word (bottom-left) starts with “L”.
  • The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “D”.

One tip to solving Quordle Sequence is to use 3 words with completely different letters. This will create a base when you try to solve the next word.


Today’s Quordle Sequence Answers

We have today’s Quordle Sequence answers for you right below.

Today’s Quordle answers for Sequence for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

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That wraps up all the daily Quordle answers. Let’s try solving the Weekly Challenge next (if you haven’t already).


Previous Quordle Answers

Looking for the answers to the previous Quordle puzzles? Here is a list of answers for Quordle’s Daily: Classic mode for the last 7 days:

Quordle Answers – 4 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 3 August 2026:

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Quordle Answers – 2 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 1 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 31 July 2026:

Quordle Answers – 30 July 2026:

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Quordle Answers – 29 July 2026:

If your thirst for word games hasn’t been quenched yet, may I suggest Blossom? It’s available on Merriam-Webster — the same place you’re playing Quordle. If you need help in this game, you can use our Spelling Bee Solver tool. Yes, we made it for a different game but it works for Blossom.

We also have the answers for many word games you can play on NYT Games. Check out today’s Connections Helper or Crossword Answers for NYT Mini.