The ‘wrong’ answer to this matchstick challenge is so much better than the right one(s)

Poke Staff. Updated December 9th, 2022

Here’s a challenge to give your brain a mild workout for a moment or two (or, in our case, the thick end of 10 minutes).

It’s a matchstick challenge that has just gone viral on Reddit because the ‘wrong’ answer this person came up with was so much better than the right one(s).

‘Wait, that isn’t how you’re supposed to play the game,’ said Duck_Cap on the corner of Reddit called ‘Technically the Truth’.

Peak technically the truth.

Naturally it got people scratching their heads about the right answer, and it turns out there’s more than one (but you knew that already, right? Anyone?)

‘Took me a minute: 8-4=4’
lordhoobla123

‘You could also make it 0+4=4’
ALitteralHamster

‘5+4 = 9’
thunderchungus1999

‘5 + 4 = 9 // 8 – 4 = 4 // 6 – 4 ≠ 4 // 5 + 4 ≠ 4 // 5 + 4 ≥ 4 (but you’d need to draw the symbol with the “equals” portion flat, which is common).’
Suspicious-Hospital7

‘Well then at least 6: 0+4=4’
Mistergardenbear

‘Yup. Missed that one.’
Suspicious-Hospital7

To conclude …

‘Wow everybody on Reddit is smarter than me today. I should just go back to sleep and give up on today.’
2x_butthole_olympian

And also this.

‘There is no matchstick only pixels.’
juice_BX

‘r/technicallythetruth.’
Cantthinkofaname282

Source Reddit u/Duck_Cap Image Unsplash