diff --git a/tests/test_nyt_check.py b/tests/test_nyt_check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67622e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_nyt_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import json
+from datetime import date
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from wordle_solver.nyt_check import fetch_todays_answer, maybe_check_nyt_word
+from wordle_solver.solver import Solver
+
+
+def _write_lists(data_dir, answers, guesses):
+    (data_dir / "answers.txt").write_text("\n".join(answers) + "\n")
+    (data_dir / "guesses.txt").write_text("\n".join(guesses) + "\n")
+
+
+def _mock_response(body: dict):
+    class _Resp:
+        def __enter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        def __exit__(self, *a):
+            return False
+
+        def read(self):
+            return json.dumps(body).encode()
+
+    return _Resp()
+
+
+class TestFetchTodaysAnswer:
+    def test_returns_solution_on_success(self):
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.urllib.request.urlopen",
+                   return_value=_mock_response({"solution": "CRANE"})):
+            assert fetch_todays_answer() == "crane"
+
+    def test_returns_none_on_network_error(self):
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=OSError("boom")):
+            assert fetch_todays_answer() is None
+
+    def test_returns_none_on_malformed_body(self):
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.urllib.request.urlopen",
+                   return_value=_mock_response({"solution": "notfive"})):
+            assert fetch_todays_answer() is None
+
+
+class TestMaybeCheckNytWord:
+    def test_skip_flag_short_circuits(self, tmp_path):
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], ["trace"])
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer") as fetch:
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=tmp_path / "state.json",
+                                           skip=True)
+        assert result is None
+        fetch.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_cache_hit_skips_fetch(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], ["trace"])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        state_path.write_text(json.dumps({"last_checked": date.today().isoformat()}))
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], ["trace"])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer") as fetch:
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path)
+
+        assert result is None
+        fetch.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_adds_missing_word_and_updates_state(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], ["zesty"])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], ["zesty"])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer", return_value="zesty"):
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path)
+
+        assert result == "zesty"
+        assert "zesty" in solver.answers
+        assert "zesty" not in solver.extra_guesses
+        assert "zesty" in solver.candidates
+        assert (tmp_path / "answers.txt").read_text().splitlines() == ["crane", "zesty"]
+        assert json.loads(state_path.read_text())["last_checked"]
+
+    def test_already_known_word_is_noop_but_updates_state(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], [])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], [])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer", return_value="crane"):
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path)
+
+        assert result is None
+        assert json.loads(state_path.read_text())["last_checked"]
+
+    def test_network_failure_does_not_update_state(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], [])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], [])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer", return_value=None):
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path)
+
+        assert result is None
+        assert not state_path.exists()
+
+    def test_force_bypasses_cache(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], ["zesty"])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        state_path.write_text(json.dumps({"last_checked": date.today().isoformat()}))
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], ["zesty"])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer", return_value="zesty") as fetch:
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path, force=True)
+
+        fetch.assert_called_once()
+        assert result == "zesty"
+
+    def test_corrupt_state_file_treated_as_empty(self, tmp_path):
+        _write_lists(tmp_path, ["crane"], [])
+        state_path = tmp_path / "state.json"
+        state_path.write_text("not json")
+        solver = Solver(["crane"], [])
+
+        with patch("wordle_solver.nyt_check.fetch_todays_answer", return_value=None):
+            result = maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, data_dir=tmp_path, state_path=state_path)
+
+        assert result is None
diff --git a/wordle_solver/cli.py b/wordle_solver/cli.py
index dcd2d95..fadac38 100644
--- a/wordle_solver/cli.py
+++ b/wordle_solver/cli.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import random
 from collections import Counter
 
 from .game import Clue, score_guess, str_to_pattern
+from .nyt_check import maybe_check_nyt_word
 from .solver import MAX_GUESSES, WORD_LEN, Solver, rank_guesses
 from .wager import Wager
 from .words import add_answer_word, load_answers, load_extra_guesses
@@ -155,6 +156,11 @@ def run(args=None):
                          help="weight on per-position letter frequency (default: 1.0)")
     parser.add_argument("--presence-weight", type=float, default=1.0,
                          help="weight on overall letter presence frequency (default: 1.0)")
+    nyt_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    nyt_group.add_argument("--no-nyt-check", action="store_true",
+                            help="skip the automatic check of today's NYT Wordle answer")
+    nyt_group.add_argument("--force-nyt-check", action="store_true",
+                            help="check today's NYT Wordle answer even if already checked today")
     opts = parser.parse_args(args)
 
     answers = load_answers()
@@ -163,6 +169,8 @@ def run(args=None):
     wager = Wager()
     state = {"secret": None, "guesses_made": 0}
 
+    maybe_check_nyt_word(solver, skip=opts.no_nyt_check, force=opts.force_nyt_check)
+
     print("Wordle hard-mode assistant. Type 'help' for instructions.")
     print(f"Wager prices: {wager.prices_str()}")
     print_suggestions(solver, opts.top, opts.position_weight, opts.presence_weight)
diff --git a/wordle_solver/nyt_check.py b/wordle_solver/nyt_check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7b1ef5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wordle_solver/nyt_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+"""Silent, once-a-day check of the NYT Wordle answer against our word list.
+
+NYT's `svc/wordle/v2` endpoint discloses the solution for a given date as
+soon as the local calendar rolls to that date. On startup we check today's
+date once per day and add the word via the same mechanism as `/addword` if
+it's missing from `answers.txt`. Never prints anything and never raises —
+failures are silently ignored and retried on the next run.
+"""
+
+import json
+import urllib.request
+from datetime import date
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from .game import score_guess
+from .solver import WORD_LEN, Solver
+from .words import DATA_DIR, add_answer_word
+
+STATE_PATH = Path.home() / ".wordle_solver" / "state.json"
+NYT_URL_TEMPLATE = "https://www.nytimes.com/svc/wordle/v2/{date}.json"
+REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 3
+
+
+def get_state_path() -> Path:
+    return STATE_PATH
+
+
+def load_state(state_path: Path = STATE_PATH) -> dict:
+    try:
+        return json.loads(state_path.read_text())
+    except (OSError, ValueError):
+        return {}
+
+
+def save_state(state: dict, state_path: Path = STATE_PATH) -> None:
+    state_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    state_path.write_text(json.dumps(state))
+
+
+def fetch_todays_answer() -> str | None:
+    url = NYT_URL_TEMPLATE.format(date=date.today().isoformat())
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(url, timeout=REQUEST_TIMEOUT) as resp:
+            body = json.loads(resp.read())
+        word = body["solution"].strip().lower()
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+    if len(word) != WORD_LEN or not word.isalpha():
+        return None
+    return word
+
+
+def maybe_check_nyt_word(solver: Solver, data_dir: Path = DATA_DIR,
+                          state_path: Path = STATE_PATH,
+                          skip: bool = False, force: bool = False) -> str | None:
+    if skip:
+        return None
+
+    today = date.today().isoformat()
+    state = load_state(state_path)
+    if not force and state.get("last_checked") == today:
+        return None
+
+    word = fetch_todays_answer()
+    if word is None:
+        return None
+
+    state["last_checked"] = today
+    save_state(state, state_path)
+
+    if word in solver.answers:
+        return None
+
+    result = add_answer_word(word, data_dir)
+    solver.answers.append(word)
+    solver.answers.sort()
+    if result["removed_from_guesses"]:
+        solver.extra_guesses.remove(word)
+
+    if all(score_guess(rec.guess, word) == rec.pattern for rec in solver.history):
+        solver.candidates.append(word)
+
+    return word