What has six letters perplexed the entire nation this year?
Wordle.
The daily brain game was the most-searched term in 2022, according to Google data, with “election results” following close behind as millions of Americans were at the edge of their seats just last month, waiting to see who would hold the future of the country in their hands after the midterms.
“Amongst the extreme highs and lows, including national mourning and geo-political instability, it’s humbling to see that a game like Wordle supplied comfort,” Matt Cooke, head of Google News Lab, told the Daily Mail.
Among the many tragic, notable deaths this year, Betty White, Queen Elizabeth II and Bob Saget topped Google Trends data.
White, who died mere days before her 100th birthday, was the nation’s sweetheart — and her passing shocked avid fans who prayed for her longevity. Saget died the same month, in January, at just 65 years of age.
Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Will Smith reigned as the top trending people of the year — probably in part due to the explosive defamation trial between the two exes and the latter’s infamous Oscars slapgate.
Even Anna Sorokin — also known as Anna Delvey — weaseled her way onto the trending charts, coming in at No. 6. She was the subject of a mini-series about her life as a fake heiress in the Big Apple, eventually landing behind bars in 2019. Despite her extensive rap sheet of white-collar crime, Sorokin still kept her socialite air.
But all the 2022 buzz seemed to also center around love. A-list relationships have always been a fascination, but Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson took the cake for the top trending celebrity break-up.
The pair’s meet-cute was on “Saturday Night Live” late last year — and weeks later, the unlikely couple’s relationship blossomed. From beach vacays to red-carpet arrivals, the two were the internet’s hottest item until it all went up in smoke.
“Encanto” stole America’s heart with its enticing, animated chorus lines, topping the movie category as the top trending film in 2022. Action flicks “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Top Gun: Maverick” came in at second and third place, as Chris Hemsworth’s rippling muscles and Miles Teller’s bushy ‘stache made the masses swoon.
“Euphoria” trumped “Stranger Things” as No. 1 in trending TV shows, bumping the Netflix thriller to second place. Zendaya, who plays Rue in the HBO hit “Euphoria,” took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series this year.
