Word puzzles, major sporting events and the weather have topped the list of Australia’s most searched topics on Google for 2022.

The top spot was claimed by popular word guessing game Wordle. Following a year of fluctuating COVID cases, floods and heated elections, many people took respite in the addictive online phenomenon that involves players solving five-letter word puzzles.

Before it was acquired by The New York Times, Wordle attracted over 2 million daily users in January 2022, with its familiar green and yellow grid flooding social media feeds.

A drama-filled Australian Open captured the attention of many Australians, helping the grand slam claim the prize for second most searched term. Ash Barty triumphed in the women’s singles, ending a 44-year drought for a homegrown Australian Open singles winner. The Novak Djokovic visa saga also made waves, with the Serbian tennis champion detained alongside refugees and asylum seekers in Melbourne’s Park Hotel as his every move and border crossing was put under the microscope.

It was a strong year for sport in general, and the World Cup netted the third-highest number of searches. The Socceroos experienced their “best year ever”, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years and drawing thousands of fans who watched the Australian team’s games at Melbourne’s Federation Square and other outdoor venues around the country.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Australians searched for the terms “floods”, “La Niña” and “when will the rain stop” in significant numbers. Victoria experienced its wettest spring in 30 years and much of Australia’s east coast was affected by floods.

The appetite for a sunny day was matched by a hunger for dahl recipes, with the Indian dish being the most searched recipe of the year. Ezy sauce, mashed potatoes and drunken chicken were also among the fare that Australians went hunting for tips on how to prepare.

The shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic led many users to search health related questions, such as “can you get COVID twice?“, “how long does COVID last?” and “can dogs get COVID?” .

January saw a dramatic surge in Omicron cases, while a new wave is currently spreading in many states.

Google remains the world’s dominant search engine, with an estimated 4.3 billion users and a market share of over 90 per cent.

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