The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
OBSTACLE
Definition of OBSTACLE
noun
Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Middle English obstacle, from Old French obstacle, from Latin obstāculum.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
OBSTACLE in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 15 boards so far. 20 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 22, 11 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 119, 16 September 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 2 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 22, 11 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
OBSTACLE starts with O and ends with E. Sorted, its letters read ABCELOST - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. No letter is used twice, which makes it an isogram.
Words that start OBSTAC
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 22
Could you have found OBSTACLE?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 22 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER