Hurdle hints and answers for August 23, 2025
So, you’re stuck on today’s Hurdle. You’re not alone—this one tripped me up, too, and I’ve spent more time than I care to admit muttering at my screen while my coffee went cold. Let’s get straight to it: today’s Hurdle words and their clues are below, along with some honest-to-goodness human-style ramble and a dash of real anecdote (like the one about my neighbor’s wild theory that “GULAG” must secretly be an aquarium term… I’ll get to that).
Hurdle 1: Tall and Slender
The answer is LANKY.
It’s a word I always wanted to describe myself in high school, but “more like stout and short” was what my grandma went with. Today’s clue makes it almost too easy if you’ve ever tried on jeans that bunch up at the ankles—they’re for the “lanky” crowd. Even the word kind of feels stretched out when you say it.
Hurdle 2: Short
Yep: BRIEF.
A simple enough word, but “brief” always reminds me of that time I submitted a “brief” for debate class and the teacher called it “novella-length.” The trick here isn’t overthinking it (I tried “MINUS,” which got me nowhere).
Hurdle 3: Excessive
The right answer is UNDUE, though I first punched in “EXCESS” (rookie move). “Undue” is one of those words that pops up in formal warnings: “Undue stress,” “undue influence”—basically anything that means “Whoa, slow down.” My own “undue” stress?
Every time my cat sits squarely on my laptop during a Hurdle.
Hurdle 4: A Russian Prison
GULAG, of course.
This one feels dramatic for a Saturday word game, doesn’t it? I once had a neighbor genuinely convinced “GULAG” was a fish you could only buy at specialty stores (it’s not, please do not eat this word). Anyway, if historical novels are your jam, this answer probably came easy.
The Final Hurdle: Muck
SLUSH.
There’s something satisfying about typing “slush.” Brings back memories of trudging to school through boots full of that frozen nonsense, daydreaming about sick days and SNES marathons. “Slush” is the final splash of the day—messy, kinda fun, definitely sticky if you step in it (real-life or puzzles).
