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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 hint

___cliff bar.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

HEATH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

From the Netherlands.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DUTCH

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To cleanse the body.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BATHE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To grant.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ENDOW

Final Hurdle hint

To compare.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LIKEN

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The New Moon is only a few nights away, so there's less and less of the Moon to see each evening. Here's what it'll look like tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 9, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Crescent phase, with 16% of its surface visible.

Without visual aids, you'll only be able to see the Aristarchus Plateau. However, if you have binoculars or a telescope, you'll also see the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon's appearance changes throughout the month as it orbits Earth, completing one full lunar cycle approximately every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During that journey, the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible from our perspective. That's why we see the familiar sequence of phases, from a slim crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the pattern begins again.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve.

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 August 7, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 7, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

An onomatopoeia similar to thump.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

CLUNK

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like to splurge a litte bit.

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 Mashable

By 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 August 7, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Isn't that a bit much?

The words are related to spending.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe aspects of being financially kind to yourself.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is I'm Worth It.

NYT Strands word list for August 8

• Luxury

• Treat

• Extravagance

• Frills

• Indulgence

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a good sense of smell.

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.

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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.

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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 August 7, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: A different way

• Green: Childhood classics

• Blue: Genres

• Purple: Get out

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Take a Different Approach

• Green: Classic Children's Books

• Blue: Movie Subgenres

• Purple: Things People Try to Get Out Of

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 #1155 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Take a Different Approach: CHANGE TACK, COURSE-CORRECT, RECALIBRATE, SHIFT GEARS

• Classic Children's Books: CAPS FOR SALE, CORDUROY, GOODNIGHT MOON, MADELINE

• Movie Subgenres: BUDDY COP, NEO-NOIR, SPACE OPERA, SPAGHETTI WESTERN

• Things People Try to Get Out Of: BAD DREAM, ESCAPE ROOM, JURY DUTY, LABYRINTH

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 7, 2026

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.

TL;DR: Write a 300K-word manuscript for just $37 with this YouBooks AI lifetime subscription.

Opens in a new window Credit: Youbooks Youbooks AI Non-Fiction Book Generator: Lifetime Subscription $36.75
$540 Save $503.25   Get Deal

Writing is just one step in creating a book. Before that comes research, outlining, drafting, and editing. But for only $36.75 (reg. $540), you’ll be able to craft publish-ready 300,000-word manuscripts for life through Aug. 9 with code AUG25. Even the busiest educators, content creators, entrepreneurs, and coaches can get their words out as intended.

The platform is powered by various leading AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, to help you generate cohesive, expertly crafted, and engaging content. With it, you can use the monthly 250K credits your lifetime subscription provides for source uploads or writing.

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One credit accounts for one word or one uploaded source word; you also have the option to store up to 100 writing style samples and 100 source documents for easy access. What’s more, YouBooks pulls full real-time web searches during the writing composition, so you can rest assured that any facts, stats, and news you use are current, up-to-date, and accurate.

The source uploads don’t have to be from the web either. You can guide the AI or even upload your own memos, transcripts, and documents to foreground your work. Plus, you can also define and curate your own writing style to ensure consistency and a cohesive end project.

As you can see, each book goes through a series of steps to move from ideation to completion. Better yet, you get to retain full ownership of your content—meaning you can look forward to publishing, distributing, or even selling it without restriction.

Whether you’re writing a memoir, educational guide, teaching resource, or simply consolidating your work, YouBooks can assist you at every stage. So, why not try it out?

Get your YouBooks AI Lifetime Subscription for just $36.75 (reg. $540) with code AUG25, only through August 9. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

I spent much of the past couple years quite enamored with both the hardware and software of Samsung's book-style foldable phones. That changed with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and I've since switched to the Motorola Razr Fold. I'd be lying if I said every aspect of this phone is better, but I'm quite surprised by the extent to which most of it, frankly, actually is.

Flock Safety, the company behind a nationwide network of automatic license plate readers, pitched a plan to convert hundreds of thousands of Uber, Lyft, and delivery drivers into a mobile extension of its surveillance system, according to a company presentation obtained by 404 Media.

404's Joseph Cox wrote that the document describes equipping driver vehicles with dashcams capable of scanning license plates along their routes, effectively expanding Flock's network beyond its usual fixed cameras mounted on poles.

SEE ALSO: Someone stole every Flock camera in this Minnesota city

The presentation centers on a proposed partnership with Nexar, a dashcam maker whose devices are already marketed to rideshare drivers and commuters. Cox reported that 404 Media had previously uncovered the planned partnership last year through separate sourcing, and that this newly obtained document shows Flock was actively marketing the arrangement to prospective customers around that same period.

The material was shared with 404 Media by a Georgia resident who obtained it through a public records request, after Flock presented it to that state's attorney general's office.

Flock told 404 Media the Nexar deal was never actually put into place. Still, according to Cox's reporting, the presentation demonstrates the scale of the company's ambitions, citing plans to draw on roughly 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and other delivery devices for the network, in addition to existing coverage from businesses and homeowners' associations across Georgia. It remains unclear, Cox noted, whether Uber, Lyft, or their drivers would have known their vehicles were collecting this data.

The report situates the proposal within Flock's broader push into new data sources. Earlier, 404 Media reported on a security breach that exposed a large trove of Nexar customer footage, including footage near sensitive military sites, as well as a separate effort — later abandoned — to build a tool to link license plates to specific individuals using leaked information. Cox also cited the outlet's coverage of a similar arrangement involving BusPatrol, a company that outfits school buses with cameras and shares resulting data with police.

Uber, Lyft, and Nexar did not respond to 404 Media's requests for comment, according to Cox's reporting.

Family SUVs have become the default choice for buyers who want practicality, comfort, and efficiency, but that convenience often comes at a steep price. With many new compact crossovers now pushing well past $35,000, a growing number of lightly used alternatives deliver the same everyday usability, better fuel economy, and a more refined driving experience while costing thousands less.

Backing up your files to the cloud is super convenient since you can access them anywhere and on any device. However, there is a chance that your cloud storage could become compromised. If that ever happens, you'll be glad not to have the things on this list stored in it.

Some movies are not comfort food. Some are the ones you brace for—punishingly realistic war epics that flatten you, thrillers that put your nerves through the shredder, true-crime documentaries that make you check your locks at night. You watch them once, feel all the feels, and then file the experience away for good.

If you own a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone, you can enable a selection of audio features that will instantly improve the sound quality of your phone's speakers, the earbuds you're using, and more. The only catch is that most of them are hidden away, especially on Samsung phones. Even if you don't own a Pixel or a Galaxy, Android's Developer options menu hides a few handy Bluetooth audio settings every Android phone owner should tinker with.

I had used NVIDIA GPUs for about a decade until I replaced my trusty RTX 3070 with an RX 9070 XT in early 2025. The AMD graphics card was, and still is, impressive when it comes to gaming performance, but after making the switch, what surprised me most was the software, not the hardware.

3D printing is such a fantastic tool for so many reasons. However, one of my favorite things to do with 3D printing has to be creating upgrades for my office that I couldn't get any other way. Here are three office upgrades that I was able to do with 3D printing that gave me a huge quality of life upgrade.

Opening a garage door manually is no fun, but even a basic garage door opener can do the job at the push of a button. Smart garage door openers are even better, allowing you to control your garage door remotely, but they don't always come cheap. You may be able to turn your dumb garage door opener into a smart one for as little as $10.

Every few months, a new Android update shows up and promises to fix my day. A One UI 8.5 feature added expiry dates to routines. Android 16 rebuilt Do Not Disturb into Modes. Both are good additions. To be fair, Samsung's Modes and Routines already leaves Pixel's Rules far behind. But no update has ever known that my study block starts at 6 PM, or that 20% battery is already too late for me.

The Subaru Outback has long been the easy recommendation for buyers who want one vehicle to handle commuting, road trips, bad weather, and the occasional dirt road. But if most of your driving happens on pavement, its rugged versatility may matter less than the quality of the experience you get every time you climb behind the wheel.

X is overhauling how it pays creators, phasing out its long-running Revenue Sharing program in favor of a new system called the Original Content Rewards Program.

The platform's Creators account announced the change in a post, saying the program is meant to "reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X."

According to the announcement, X stopped accepting new Revenue Sharing enrollments immediately and will wind the program down entirely after Sept. 7. Creators currently enrolled will receive three final payouts — two on the standard schedule in mid- and late August, and a final payment around Sept. 11 covering earnings through the cutoff date. Starting Sept. 8, existing Revenue Sharing members can apply for the new program if they meet its eligibility requirements, the company said.

SEE ALSO: With the launch of X Money, Elon Musk gets one step closer to his 'everything app'

Per X's announcement, the new program ties earnings to "qualified impressions" a creator's original content receives, rather than the advertising-revenue split that defined the old system. Qualified impressions must come from unique, verified Premium subscribers viewing at least half of a post on the Home Timeline; impressions that are duplicated, paid, promoted, or fraudulent don't count.

To qualify, X says creators must be at least 18, live in an eligible country, hold a Personal or Business account in good standing, subscribe to a paid X tier, and have at least 500 verified followers, along with 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users over the prior 90 days. Those requirements must be maintained continuously to keep receiving payouts, according to the announcement.

X's guidelines lean heavily on defining what counts as "original." Per the company's post, content that is copied, reuploaded without authorship, generated through automated means, or reposted with only minor edits — such as captions, watermarks, or basic text overlays — won't qualify. Users can earn from reposting others' material only if they add substantive commentary, analysis, or creative editing. So, simply describing what's already happening in a post doesn't meet the bar.

As noted in Engadget's report on the news, X adjusted its Revenue Sharing formula in March to weight engagement more heavily toward a creator's home region. That shift, they wrote, likely followed revelations that a number of popular accounts posting pro-Trump content and US-focused commentary were not actually based in the United States.

Whether the new Original Content Rewards Program carries over a similar regional weighting is not yet clear.

Time is a valuable asset. As someone who writes about entertainment for a living, I spend much of my time watching the latest movies that will dominate conversation in the coming weeks. When I do have a free moment, I try not to waste my time watching poorly reviewed movies or three-hour movies.

Photoshop's "Remove background" tool is great, but it comes with a pretty steep price. To use it, you need an active subscription.