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The Sony WH-1000XM4 were long the dominant headphones on recommendation lists, laudatory Reddit threads, and TikTok FYPs, so it's no surprise that six years and two flagship releases later, the audio brand decided to take another crack at the older headphones.
Thus, the release of the Sony WH-1000XM4C (2nd gen). What this (slightly confusing) name imparts is that this is not Sony's latest flagship headphones, but a second generation of the original XM4 flagships. The price reflects a similar story: at $299.99, they're significantly cheaper than the current flagship pair, the $459.99 Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.
So what improvements were made, and how do they stack up to Sony's pricier models? I spent two weeks testing out the headphones to find out.
Sony WH-1000XM4C: At a glance The XM4Cs are ultimate on-the-go headphones. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableThe Sony XM4C come with much of the same interior tech as the first generation XM4 headphones, with major upgrades in the audio department. The spec rundown is as follows:
Processor: QN1 for ANC
Battery life: 27 hours
Equalizer: 10-band custom equalizer on companion app
Mics: 4
Multipoint: Connect up to two devices at once
Colors: Black, lavender, platinum silver
The concept behind these headphones is same beloved shell, slightly better interior specs. Most notably, that comes through in the sound profile, which resembles more closely that of the WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6 headphones, which results in a more detailed and rich sound out of the box.
SEE ALSO: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Is it worth the upgrade?Powering up the companion app also results in more fine-tuning, with the addition of a 10-band equalizer, compared to the five-band equalizer found in the first generation headphones. The equalizer presets now also include a gaming option, making these an overall more versatile pair of headphones. Whether I was enjoying the spooky season with my favorite fishing sim, playing jazz standards, listening to live rock performances, or listening to a podcast, these headphones delivered on a solid performance. While it never felt exceptional, it was the type of all-around experience you'd hope for at this price point.
These headphones fold up nice and small. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Bag space required: minimal. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableAs for the design, I'll keep it brief as it is essentially the XM4 headphones repackaged. That is to say, it's excellent — comfortable, yet compact and easy enough to throw into my purse and take on the go. While it's completely free of metal accents or anything particularly fancy, the lower-profile ear cups and cushioning comfortable enough for several hours of wear just make them feel like a classic pair of headphones. I could easily see these being one of my top choices to bring while traveling.
Sony WH-1000XM4C: The badThe XM4 active noise cancellation remains competitive even in the current headphone landscape, which maybe explains Sony's decision to keep the ANC tech the exact same: a QN1 processor with four microphones. I can't help but see that as a bit of a wasted opportunity.
More mics for noise cancellation would've been a welcome upgrade. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableWorse, though, is the small step back they took with the battery life. These headphones hold 27 hours of charge, compared to the first generation's 30 hours. It's not a huge difference, but with six years between pairs, it's not unfair to hope for no regression in the tech.
Are the Sony WH-1000XM4C headphones worth it? Sony adds slight upgrades while keeping costs relatively low. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableBefore the release of the XM4C headphones, the XM4 headphones could frequently be found on sale for $230 to $198. Sure, their sound tech wasn't quite as up to date, but that's a hard price point to beat. The cynic in me can see a world where Sony is grabbing at a little more cash, while framing this new generation as a more affordable alternative when one already existed in the cheaper XM4 headphones.
The optimist, however, does appreciate Sony paying attention to the popularity of the older model over newer releases, and doing some light revamping to upgrade the headphones for the current market. The result is a really well-rounded pair of headphones that stands on its own among other pairs — and it's still $60 cheaper than Bose's mid-range release. Maybe more than anything, these headphones demonstrate that, year over year, headphone tech has only improved so much. The old XM4s held up — it's natural that these changes could have only been incremental while keeping costs low in a time with rising tech prices.
In other words, these headphones are a solid value for anyone looking for an all-around workhorse to last them for years, without breaking the bank. And with impending Black Friday sales, there's always a chance they'll become even more of a steal.
Sony WH-1000XM4C $298 at AmazonTikTok has a new suggestion for anyone worried that endless scrolling has turned their brain into mush: Pick up a book. Or a crossword puzzle. Or a Sudoku. Better yet, stack them all together.
It's called "brain stacking," and the idea is pretty simple. Instead of reaching for your phone whenever you have a spare moment, you keep a collection of books, puzzles, journals, and other mentally stimulating activities within arm's reach. Think of it as a little library of things to do when you're bored that don't involve staring at another screen.
And in an era when "brain rot" has become part of our everyday vocabulary, it's not hard to understand the appeal.
What is brain stacking?Brain stacking is exactly what it sounds like: assembling a stack of activities designed to engage your brain. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, creators are showing off their collections of Sudoku books, crossword puzzles, novels, journals, and other analog activities, often as part of their morning or nighttime routines.
The goal isn't necessarily to become smarter overnight. It's to replace some of the time you'd otherwise spend doomscrolling or bloomscrolling with activities that require a little more concentration, creativity, or critical thinking.
In one TikTok, highlighted by Essence's Girls United, creator @shykikii shares her nighttime brain-stacking routine, which includes journaling, Sudoku, and reading before bed. She credits fellow creator and "brain stack queen" @mandyrulez for the inspiration and for seemingly coining the term.
Some creators are also incorporating timed brain stacks into their mornings, using activities like Sudoku and writing exercises to kick-start their days. As CORQ reports, the trend is part of a larger wave of morning and nighttime "stacks" that package different habits into repeatable routines.
Essentially, it's a way to make spending time offline feel like an activity in itself. And, naturally, there's an aesthetic component to it, too. A thoughtfully assembled pile of books and puzzles looks pretty good sitting on a bedside table.
Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with analog activities?Brain stacking might sound familiar to anyone who remembers the "analog bag" trend that took off on TikTok last year. The idea was to fill a tote bag with books, crossword puzzles, knitting supplies, journals, and other screen-free activities you could reach for instead of your phone. Creator Siece Campbell helped popularize the concept, inspiring others to assemble their own portable collections of analog entertainment.
Brain stacking takes a similar approach, only instead of carrying your hobbies around in a tote, you keep them stacked within reach at home to make reading, writing, and solving puzzles a regular part of your day. Both trends are rooted in the same desire to make doing literally anything other than scrolling feel a little easier.
Throughout 2026, creators have been embracing everything from physical media and film cameras to knitting, journaling, and other so-called "grandma hobbies." The common thread is a desire to spend less time on screens and more time on tangible activities.
It's also part of a growing cultural conversation about waning attention spans and our complicated relationships with our phones. Between endless notifications, algorithmic feeds, and the constant temptation — and growing compulsion — to scroll, finding ways to disconnect has become its own kind of online obsession.
Of course, there's something a little ironic about discovering your new screen-free hobby on TikTok, a contradiction exacerbated by the creators participating in the trend. And like so many lifestyle trends on the platform, brain stacking also comes with the temptation to buy a bunch of new things in the name of self-improvement, raising familiar questions about overconsumption.
But you don't actually need to purchase an aesthetically pleasing collection of puzzle books to participate. A book you've been meaning to finish, an old notebook, or a crossword from the newspaper works just as well.
If brain stacking encourages people to spend a little less time scrolling and a little more time engaging with the world beyond their phones, that's probably a good thing. Just don't spend three hours on TikTok researching the perfect brain stack.
A European spacecraft built to map galaxies has discovered a new comet serendipitously, proving it can do more than study dark matter and dark energy in the distant universe.
The Euclid Space Telescope spotted the space snowball, dubbed C/2026 S1 (Euclid) between Sept. 16 and 24, after the renegade had smudged five image sets.
The European Space Agency's mission, launched in 2023, takes long exposures of faraway galaxies, not high-speed photography of zippy objects in our own solar system. But moving-object software, developed by Mikko Pöntinen, a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki, flagged an errant streak. Finding and removing stray signals is crucial for the mission to photograph about one-third of the entire sky in every direction around Earth.
"By predicting [the object's] position, I could identify it in other images," Pöntinen said in a statement. "Further inspection revealed that it had a fuzzy cloud around it, indicative of an active object like a comet that is shedding dust and gas."
The results show Euclid, a mission in partnership with NASA, can find new comets early, while they are still fairly far from the sun. That buys astronomers time to watch it activate and change as it approaches, as well as study what it's made of. Tracking a comet over time allows researchers to get a more accurate depiction of its orbit, which tells them how close it will come and how bright it might get.
SEE ALSO: Mars without its makeup can look a little blue. Here's why.Right now the comet is about 800 million miles from Earth. If you were to compare that distance to planets in the solar system, it would sit roughly between Jupiter and Saturn.
But this comet is not in the flat plane where the planets orbit. Relative to the sun's position, it's actually overhead, looping up and over the solar system. One full orbit for this object would likely take thousands of years to complete, according to ESA.
That's another reason why spotting C/2026 S1 (Euclid) was so fortuitous. The space telescope looks away from the strip of sky along the solar system's plane, where asteroids and comets are common. Dust in that field of view can cause glare that could otherwise spoil deep-sky images. The comet was found in the direction of the Draco constellation in the far northern sky.
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"Very few comets are expected to be discovered by Euclid so it was a happy coincidence that the combination of the comet's orbit and Euclid's scanning over those days captured the object in multiple images," said Bruno Altieri, who was part of the discovery team, in a statement.
Comets are icy, dusty material left over from when the solar system formed around 4.6 billion years ago. As of the writing of this story, there are over 4,000 known comets. When the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center confirmed the detection of C/2026 S1 (Euclid) on Oct. 8, it became one of 13 found so far this year.
Comet C/2026 S1 (Euclid) looks like a streak in Euclid Space Telescope deep-sky images because it moves fast during the long exposure. Credit: ESA / Euclid / Euclid Consortium / NASA / M. Pöntinen et al.Most comets come from the far-off Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud, which lie past the orbits of the outer planets. The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS that passed through our solar system in 2025 originated from somewhere else in the Milky Way.
When a comet gets close to the sun, its ice becomes gas, which forms a bright, hazy glow around its head, called a coma, and a millions-of-miles-long tail.
Comets from our own solar system have changed very little since they formed, which makes them sort of like time capsules. Studying them helps scientists learn about the raw materials and conditions that created the planets.
"Comets may have brought water and organic compounds, the building blocks of life, to the early Earth and other parts of the solar system," NASA says.
If your timeline has suddenly filled up with talk of linemen, no, it's not about the big boys working in the NFL trenches.
The linemen in question are the utility workers who climb poles and ride bucket trucks to keep the power on. And, as we near the tail end of Hurricane season, these workers are at the center of one of the internet's stranger recurring feuds: lineman wives versus "bucket bunnies."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed."Currently going down the rabbit hole of 'line wife' TikTok…I'm literally dying of cringe," says this X user, whose viral post has brought new attention to this subculture of blue-collar work.
What's a lineman?For those who don't know, linemen build and maintain power lines, and that work becomes urgent during storms, wildfires, and other emergencies. Some people call them first responders, a label many would rather you didn't use. Either way, most communities love them for the simple reason that they restore power.
Doesn't hurt either that the work pays really well. According to Lineman Central, a training and job hub for line workers, the average U.S. lineman earns a little under $82,000 a year. Storm work pushes that much higher. The site reports that linemen restoring power after a hurricane or fire can earn $13,000 to $14,000 in a single week. Though it is a dangerous line of work.
Lineman Central reports about 2,400 serious nonfatal injuries per 100,000 workers each year, or roughly 1 in 42. Storm work is the most dangerous part of the job. Data from HAAS Alert puts line workers' fatality rate 400 percent above the national average for all occupations, with an average of 26 linemen killed on the job each year.
Altogether, with the occasional periods of travel combined with the high pay, linemen can be some of the highest earners in the areas they live in. Making their profession ripe for a subculture built around being their spouses.
Lineman wives and bucket bunniesLineman's wife culture belongs to the same family as military spouses and WAGs (the wives and girlfriends of pro athletes), just a tier below. In each case, the partner's job is all-consuming and often involves extensive travel. It makes sense that spouses build an identity and a community around it. On TikTok, that community has produced its own influencers, who document life as a lineman's spouse.
Each of those worlds also has a name for the women accused of exploiting that time apart. Hockey has puck bunnies, football has jersey chasers, baseball has cleat chasers, and music has groupies. Linework has bucket bunnies, named for the bucket trucks linemen use to reach the lines.
The accusation is the same as with any groupie. When linemen travel for storm work, bucket bunnies allegedly try to hook up with them to get a piece of that storm pay. In rural parts of the country, where linemen are highly regarded and often among the top earners, that's a real draw. The result is an annual hurricane-season standoff between lineman wives and the women they say are after their husbands — plus the people online discovering the drama for the first time.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.None of this is new. Newsweek and Jezebel both covered the feud back in 2022, and Reddit has plenty of snarky threads devoted to "entitled" spouses of service members (derogatorily called "dependas"). Nearly every job that pays relatively well, is dangerous, and keeps people away from home for long stretches has a similar niche subculture: oil wives, firefighter wives, police wives.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.The lineman's wife subculture is making the rounds again, thanks to the previously mentioned viral X post. Now that it's broken containment, many commentators are remarking on how cringe the whole thing is. So it's easy to see why it caught on.
On top of the cringe, the drama pairs a genuinely novel subculture — influencer careers built around a husband's blue-collar job — with some of the internet’s favorite targets. Linework carries working-class Southern stereotypes. The women who have become the faces of lineman wives on TikTok don’t fit the glossy image of a WAG, and they get mocked for making their husbands' jobs their entire personality. Add the usual judgment of "promiscuous" women, and you get a trashy Jerry Springer-esque showdown for people to gawk at. Cringe and entitled behavior aside, much of it runs on condescension toward Southerners, blue-collar workers, and women.
There's also the novelty. Most Americans have never thought much about the people who fix power lines, so discovering a whole soap opera built around them is fascinating, if a little voyeuristic.
Still, some corners of the internet are taking a kinder view. One X user argued it’s actually great that "regular working joes have groupies."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Even the most underappreciated jobs deserve a fan club.
TL;DR: Become an AI pro with 11 informative courses totaling 44 hours of training in The Complete AI Skills Bundle, on sale now for $34.99 (reg. $79).
Opens in a new window Credit: Skillademia The Complete AI Skills Bundle $34.99Sure, AI tools can help you get a lot done — but you first need to know how to work with them. The Complete AI Skills Bundle gives you hands-on training to hone this important skill, with 44 hours of learning on tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, and more.
Right now, you can secure permanent access to The Complete AI Skills Bundle for just $34.99 — less than $4 a course.
If your AI skills could use some sharpening, The Complete AI Skills Bundle lets you go from beginner to pro from the comfort of your couch.
These 11 courses total 44 hours of hands-on training to teach you about eight different models. Each one is taught by Skillademia, an online learning institution geared toward teaching practical, project-based courses on AI, so you’ll be in good hands with their talented instructors.
Master ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Midjourney, Runway, Leonardo AI, Adobe Firefly, and ElevenLabs within these courses, and even learn how to design faster with AI within PowerPoint. Project-based learning shows you how to build things step by step, so when you’re done, you have results you can actually use.
If you’re working to get better with Claude, you’ll appreciate the three-level Claude Track, which takes you from fundamentals to intermediate to advanced. You’ll also learn how to make images in Midjourney, Leonardo AI, and Firefly, and craft videos in Runway. If you need to make voiceovers or voice clones, you’ll master that within ElevenLabs.
Picking up AI skills for a side hustle? This course even shows you how to use Midjourney to turn your AI art and content into freelance income.
You’ll have lifetime access to The Complete AI Skills Bundle, complete with all future updates. You can access it on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Get The Complete AI Skills Bundle for just $34.99 today.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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Opens in a new window Credit: Light Speed Technologies Hostdeal Unlimited Plan: Lifetime Subscription $149.99If you think paying someone to build your website is where the expenses end when it comes to launching your website, we have some bad news. The expenses just continue from there with hosting and storage fees, and they can be ongoing. That’s where Hostdeal shines, allowing you to pay once and enjoy a lifetime of web hosting.
Right now, a lifetime subscription to Hostdeal Unlimited Plan is on sale for just $149.99.
Running your websites doesn’t have to cost an endless fortune. Hostdeal offers the option to pay once and enjoy a lifetime of free domains and SSL certificates, making it a great choice for agencies, developers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and people seeking maximum flexibility for their websites.
The Hostdeal Unlimited Plan provides unlimited website hosting, unlimited NVMe SSD storage, and 54 free lifetime domains to use as you’d like. You can even tackle high-volume website management with this Unlimited Plan, complete with enterprise-grade security and fast performance. There’s unlimited bandwidth, so it can handle growing traffic.
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TL;DR: Life360's $99 Pet GPS bundle includes a free year of Silver membership for new and free-tier users. The new $99 setup slashes first-year tracking costs while giving pet owners access to real-time location data, a 100M+ member search network, and AI photo-matching with Petco Love Lost.
Opens in a new window Credit: Life360 Life360 Pet GPS $99You notice the back gate is propped open, and your dog is nowhere to be found. That sudden panic is something every pet owner has experienced or dreads experiencing. But keeping tabs on your four-legged escape artist does not have to be complicated or expensive.
Life360 expanded its family safety ecosystem with the Life360 Pet GPS, a dedicated collar attachment that lets you monitor your pet along with your family members on the same in-app map. Starting today, Life360 is offering a $99 bundle that includes the GPS device and a full $0 introductory year of its Silver membership for new and free-tier users.
The hardware uses GPS and LTE connectivity to stream real-time location updates directly to your phone. You can draw custom virtual boundaries around your house or yard. If your pet crosses that line, an instant escape alert is sent to your entire Life360 Circle, so everyone is notified immediately.
Battery life lasts up to 14 days on a single charge. If the power dips below 6%, the device enters Reserve Mode, switching off high-power GPS and relying on Bluetooth updates through the Tile network. This low-power fallback keeps the tracker findable for up to six months, so a low battery does not cut off your search.
Community search tools and AI matchingBeyond live location updates, the device links into multiple recovery networks if your pet strays too far. Triggering a Lost Pet Alert broadcasts a notification with your pet's photo, details, and verified phone number to nearby Life360 members aged 18 and older, keeping the alert pinned to the local map for 72 hours.
Through a partnership with the national nonprofit Petco Love Lost, the system also uses AI photo-matching technology to cross-reference lost-pet reports with records from local shelters and community networks. Each setup also includes a scannable collar tag, allowing anyone who finds your pet to scan the tag with any smartphone — no app download required — to get your contact details immediately.
How to claim the dealPurchase the tracker — Head over to Life360's site or Amazon to buy the Life360 Pet GPS.
Set up a Pet Profile — Download the Life360 app and build your pet's profile using a clear, well-lit photo containing only your pet, along with their breed, weight, and your verified phone number.
Activate Silver — New and free-tier users will be prompted inside the app during device setup to claim their $0 introductory year of Silver.
Your first 12 months of active tracking are fully covered by the initial $99 purchase. After year one, the Silver plan automatically renews at $99.99/year (billed annually), though you can cancel at any time in your account settings before the renewal date.
Grab the Life360 Pet GPS bundle on Life360's site or Amazon, and never worry about an open gate again.
If you're looking for a cheap weekend activity to get your kids into the Halloween spirit, Lego is hosting free make-and-take events at participating stores across the U.S. and Canada.
On Oct. 25 from 12-2 p.m., Lego Stores are inviting fans to build and take home a limited-edition Lego Ghost Street build completely free of charge. As always, there is a small catch.
The event is strictly reserved for Lego Insiders. That's no reason to give up on this giveaway. If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up for free before heading to the store. We also recommend turning up early. The build is offered on a strict first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Lines usually form 30 to 45 minutes before the start time, so it pays to be prepared.
There is always a lot of interest in these free events. No, you aren't walking away with a $100 build without spending anything, but you are taking home a miniature display model that you can't purchase. It's that exclusivity that gets the people going.
The Ghost Street make-and-take event is intended for participants aged 6+, and be sure to visit your local store page to check whether they're participating before heading out.
Elon Musk says he "got carried away" when working with the White House, and now thinks he shouldn't have continued running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for so long.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says he’ll give every kid in America a SpaceX share in 2027President Donald Trump established DOGE within days of his inauguration last January, tasking vocal supporter Musk to lead it in reducing alleged government overspending. DOGE soon sent federal organisations into turmoil by taking sweeping measures such as laying off over 280,000 government workers and shutting down the U.S.' international aid agency.
Speaking on The Builders podcast on Tuesday, Musk agreed with host Walter Isaacson's suggestion that he appeared "intoxicated" by his proximity to power while working with the White House. Isaacson specifically referenced an incident last February in which the billionaire waved around a chainsaw while on stage at a conservative conference, calling it "the chainsaw for bureaucracy."
"Yeah, I think that's true," said Musk, indicating that he regretted being so public-facing. "I got carried away basically."
Musk gained significant attention for various stunts during his time working with the Trump administration, such as his infamous "Roman"/Nazi salute. He and Trump also co-hosted a Tesla ad together at the White House, with the president deriding Musk's critics and purchasing a $90,000 Tesla Model S Plaid.
"It was interesting to sort of go around with President Trump and go on Marine One and Air Force One and all that sort of stuff," said Musk. "It was a little bit [seductive]. I mean, it was kind of cool 'cause I'm just there in the Oval Office while all these like, big momentous decisions are being made and, you know, sometimes having some impact on what's being done.
"But I think maybe I should have been more in the background, and probably only had it last for, you know, a month or two. Because at that point you've sort of seen most of what there is to see within a month or two."
Musk had initially claimed DOGE would reduce government spending by at least $2 trillion, but such savings failed to materialise. The billionaire later revised DOGE's goal down to $150 billion, yet even then, many claimed savings were either exaggerated or could not be verified.
Even so, Musk still seems to believe he could have eliminated the U.S. government's debts had he been given even more free reign.
"The problem is if you try to solve the deficit and stop wasteful spending, you make a lot of enemies in that situation," said Musk. "And President Trump is not, you know, he likes to be liked."
Musk declined to speak about exactly what happened when he eventually did leave DOGE last May, saying only that it was "a weird weekend." News of Musk's departure came just one day after he had heavily criticised Trump's tax bill, saying that it "increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing."
Trump and Musk had been fairly aligned prior to this point. Musk told The Builders that he had supported President Donald Trump's run for office out of a desire for a free market economy and "less bureaucracy," as well as interests such as "aspirationally sensible spending."
However, their disagreement about the tax bill sparked a fresh feud between the two, with the president and the billionaire soon attacking each other on their respective social media platforms Truth Social and X.
"Let's let sleeping dogs lie," Musk told Isaacson when asked about the split. "Let's not put a spade down in the backyard, type of thing. You never know what you're going to find."
Though DOGE's existence was always intended to be temporary, Musk departed well before its previously planned conclusion on July 4, 2026. The initiative quietly died after he left, and no longer existed by November 2025.
"I came to the conclusion that there was no way we were going to solve the deficit from within the government. Impossible," said Musk. "Maybe if the president made that his primary goal, we could do that…. I came to the conclusion that the only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots."
Musk has refocused his attention on his various tech companies since leaving DOGE, including SpaceXSI.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who live in St. Louis.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Playing H.O.R.S.E
Green: Missouri sports
Blue: Cheeseheads
Purple: Blue teams
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Basketball Shots
Green: St. Louis Teams
Blue: Packers WRs, Past and Present
Purple: Blue____
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #758 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?Basketball Shots: ALLEY-OOP, DUNK, FADEAWAY, FREE THROW
St. Louis Teams: BILLIKENS, BLUES, CARDINALS, ST. LOUIS CITY
Packers WRs, Past and Present: ADAMS, DRIVER, GOLDEN, NELSON
Blue____: DEVILS, JACKETS, JAYS, LINE
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 21, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 21, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 21 PipsNumber (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer 5-2, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 21 PipsLess Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed vertically.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer 3-4, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Champions League isn't short of huge matchups, but this week still feels like an extra special treat. Fresh from PSG vs. Barcelona, we're now blessed with Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal. Both sides are unbeaten after two rounds of games, and this could easily have been the final last season.
We're expecting a fascinating clash between two teams laden with stars. We're hoping for big performances from the likes of Harry Kane and Declan Rice.
If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal?Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 21. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal for freeBayern Munich vs. Arsenal is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.
RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit RTÉ Player
Watch Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Champions League group stage is starting to take shape, and it's no surprise to see Real Madrid in a strong position. José Mourinho's team are sitting on six points after two games, three points ahead of their next opponents, RB Leipzig. The visitors are coming off an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, so they'll be desperate to improve.
If you want to watch Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig?Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 21. This fixture takes place at the Santiago Bernabéu.
How to watch Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig for freeReal Madrid vs. RB Leipzig is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.
Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access it for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit Virgin Media Player
Watch Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Como vs. Manchester United in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Champions League is a tough competition. Manchester United started their campaign with a comfortable victory over Sabah but suffered a disappointing defeat to Atlético Madrid in the second round. There's now some serious pressure on Michael Carrick's team as they head to Como.
If you want to watch Como vs. Manchester United in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Como vs. Manchester United?Como vs. Manchester United in the Champions League kicks off at 12:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 21. This fixture takes place at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium.
How to watch Como vs. Manchester United for freeComo vs. Manchester United is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.
Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access it for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Como vs. Manchester United for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit Virgin Media Player
Watch Como vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Como vs. Manchester United (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Como vs. Manchester United in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintAshy.
Hurdle Word 1 answerSOOTY
Hurdle Word 2 hintReward.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerPRIZE
Hurdle Word 3 hintCold precipitation.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 21, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerSLEET
Hurdle Word 4 hintJacked.
Hurdle Word 4 answerSTOLE
Final Hurdle hintStocking material.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerNYLON
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.
Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.
While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 21, 2026 Duck Duck Goose meaningA traditional children's circle game.
Hot Potato meaningA controversial, difficult or problematic issue that no one wants to deal with..
Leapfrog meaningA traditional children's game in which one player crouches or bends over at the waist, and others take turns hopping over their back.
Musical Chairs meaningA party game where players walk or march around a row or circle of chairs while music plays.
Alpha dog meaningThe dominant leader or highest-ranking animal in a dog or wolf pack.
Big cheese meaningAn important, influential person who holds power, authority,or a top leadership position in an organization or company.
Heavyweight meaningSomeone or something of above-average weight.
Top banana meaningThe most important, powerful or leading person in a group, organization or activity
American Gothic meaningA 1930s oil painting of a Midwestern farmer holding a pitchfork and his unmarried grown daughter.
Campbell's Soup Can meaningA series of 32 paintings produced by American artist Andy Warhol.
Sunflowers meaningA tall, annual flowering plant in the daisy family, famous for its large, bright yellow flower heads and edible seeds.
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The Scream meaningAn iconic 1893 proto-expressionist painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.
English horn meaningA double-reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family.
Grape-nuts meaningA classic American breakfast cereal made from whole grain wheat.
Mantis shrimp meaningCarnivorous marine crustaceans.
Sweetbread meaningA culinary name for the thymus or pancreas.
Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're obedient.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 21, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Cease
Green: Servant
Blue: Facial hair
Purple: Animated roles
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Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Classic children's games
Green: Important person
Blue: Famous paintings
Purple: Double misnomers (neither word is an accurate description)
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1227 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayClassic children's games: DUCK DUCK GOOSE, HOT POTATO, LEAPFROG, MUSICAL CHAIRS
Important person: ALPHA DOG, BIG CHEESE, HEAVYWEIGHT, TOP BANANA
Famous paintings: AMERICAN GOTHIC, CAMPBELL'S SOUP CAN, SUNFLOWERS, THE SCREAM
Double misnomers (neither word is an accurate description): ENGLISH HORN, GRAPE-NUTS, MANTIS SHRIMP, SWEETBREAD
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're a hoarder.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 21, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: On a higher levelThe words are related to storage.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe storing things at home.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
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NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is In the Attic.
NYT Strands word list for October 21In the Attic
Luggage
Boxes
Decoration
Trunks
Yearbooks
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you carry spare change.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 21, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:One cent.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter N appears twice.
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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.
The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
PENNY
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
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