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If you want to move into senior leadership, it’s not enough just to say you’re adaptable. You have to show it. The most promotable leaders consistently demonstrate adaptability, especially in high-stakes moments. Here’s how to embed it into your leadership brand.  Model change-ready behavior in real time. When disruption hits, avoid falling into defensive habits. […]

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In the smart homes of the future, we were promised that everything would be automated. Today, there are robot vacuums to clean your floors and smart locks that secure your residence without a key—so why should you still be manually operating your blinds?

Well, that was a lot, wasn't it? The near feature-length finale of IT: Welcome to Derry casts the whole of Derry in grim fog, with the military working to try and let Pennywise loose on America while the kids, Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), and Major Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) try and recage IT.

There are flash forwards, hints of time travel, and some ties to Stephen King's novels and the IT movies that you may have missed. We've broken down all the major questions below.

SEE ALSO: Is Derry in 'IT: Welcome to Derry' a real town? What happens to Pennywise?

At the end of episode 7, Pennywise's cycle of killing came to an end with the fire at the Black Spot, and the creature was ready to return to the sewers to sleep for another 27 years — until the army got involved. General Shaw (James Remar) and the gang decided it would be a great idea to let the clown loose, and they ended up destroying one of the pillars that forms a circle around Derry and acts as a cage for the creature.

In the finale of episode 8, Pennywise makes a break for the far bank of a river surrounding Derry, which is apparently the point at which it'll be totally free of the other pillars acting as its cage. Fortunately, it doesn't get that far. Using their own fragment of the meteor that IT crashed to Earth in years before, the kids are able to reform the cage moments before the creature tears them to pieces. It's dragged away from them into the distance, presumably to return to hibernation until the 1988 cycle starts.

IT: Welcome to Derry's finale introduces the possibility of time travel.

Before the kids capture Pennywise, the clown drags Marge (Matilda Lawler) away and reveals to her that she'll one day have a son: Richie Tozier, a key character and member of the Losers' Club in the book and movies.

"The seed of your stinking loins and his filthy friends bring me my death! Or is it birth?" growls Pennywise. "I get confused. Tomorrow? Yesterday? It's all the same for little Pennywise."

Credit: Brooke Palmer / HBO

Later, back at the safety of the stand pipe, Marge talks to Lilly (Clara Stack) about what Pennywise said.

"He said, to him, the past, present, and future are all the same. And that his death was actually his birth," Marge says. "I know it sounds crazy, but what if he tries to go back and kill someone from the time before we were born, like our parents?"

Lilly's response? "I guess it'll be someone else's fight."

This conversation seems to be a set up for future seasons of IT: Welcome to Derry. We already know that co-creator Andy Muschietti wants there to be three seasons, with Season 2 and Season 3 jumping back in time to Pennywise's previous killing cycles. Marge and Lilly's exchange is the perfect lead-in to this.

What's next for Major Hanlon and Dick Hallorann?

The final scenes with Hanlon and Hallorann are nods to both Stephen King's wider work and the IT movies. Hallorann, who is best known as a key character in The Shining, tells Hanlon that he's going to work in a friend's hotel in London as a chef — the start of a career that we know will eventually take him to The Overlook Hotel.

"How much trouble can a hotel be?" he says. Of course, readers of the book will know exactly how much trouble.

Hanlon, meanwhile, decides to stay in Derry with his family and start work on a farm. As readers of the book know, his grandson will be Mike Hanlon, another key member of the Losers' Club.

What's with the flash forward in the final scene?

The final scene in the series has an unexpected flash forward to 1988, where we meet yet another Losers' Club member, Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis, reprising her role from the movies), witnessing her mother's suicide at Juniper Hill.

Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe), now an old lady who has presumably been in the asylum since the events of the 1960s cycle, appears behind her, smiling, and tells her that nobody in Derry ever really dies.

This scene essentially brings things back full circle to the movies, linking to a scene in IT: Chapter Two when an older Beverly (Jessica Chastain) is terrorised by the creature in Mrs. Kersh's form.

IT: Welcome to Derry is streaming on HBO Max.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love to compete.

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 December 15, 2025 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: Competition stages

• Green: Huge

• Blue: Rundown

• Purple: A, B, ___

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Tournament rounds

• Green: Enormous

• Blue: Disreputable establishment

• Purple: What "C" might mean

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 #918 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Tournament rounds: FINAL, QUALIFIER, QUARTER, SEMI

• Enormous: BUMPER, GIANT, MONSTER, TITANIC

• Disreputable establishment: DIVE, DUMP, HOLE, JOINT

• What "C" might mean: CELCIUS, COLD, ONE HUNDRED, SEE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 15, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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 are easy if you're a TV fanatic.

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 December 15, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 15, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Palette episodes

The words are related to entertainment.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe popular series.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Color TV.

NYT Strands word list for December 15

• Green

• Blue

• White

• Golden

• Color TV

• Bloods

• Acres

• Lotus

• Girls

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're dishonest.

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 December 15, 2025 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 December 15, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Deceitful.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter D appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DODGY

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 15, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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.

TL;DR: Give your Mac a boost with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $219).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $49.97
$219 Save $169.03   Get Deal

No room in the budget for a new computer? You can give your current one a boost with a Microsoft Office license, and if you think that doesn’t apply to Macs, think again. This Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 license outfits your Apple device with six helpful apps, and right now, you can get them all for life for just $49.97 (reg. $219).

Mac users don’t have to miss out on the power of Microsoft Office. This suite of helpful apps includes the classics that have been around for decades and can bring a productivity boost to any device — even Apple computers — thanks to this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 license.

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Whether you primarily use your computer for work, school, or personal reasons, Microsoft Office has something for everyone. Draft your document in Word, figure out a budget in Excel, or whip up a captivating presentation in PowerPoint. You can also manage your emails in Outlook, talk to coworkers in Teams, and take digital notes in OneNote.

With this lifetime license, you never have to bother with subscription fees again. Your purchase gives you a direct download, so you’ll have these tools on your device permanently. You won’t have to worry about cloud connectivity, and you can work offline as you please — just make sure your Mac is running macOS 14 or later.

Get more done with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license, now just $49.97 (reg. $219).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get one of Apple’s most powerful laptops, the MacBook Pro, for only $399.97 (reg. $1,580) while you can.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 2020 (Refurbished) $399.97
$1,580 Save $1,180.03   Get Deal

This is an expensive time of year. If you’re in need of a laptop, you’re likely not looking to shell out thousands of dollars on a MacBook Pro. But fortunately, these powerful devices occasionally go on a massive sale — like this 13-inch space gray model, currently on sale for just $399.97 (reg. $1,580) while supplies last.

There’s a reason the MacBook Pro is beloved by Apple users and typically comes with a hefty price tag. This powerful device offers all the bells and whistles we’ve come to know from Apple, all in a sleek casing that is easy to bring along anywhere.

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This particular MacBook Pro model weighs just 3.02 pounds, but don’t be deceived by its lightweight. Inside is a 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor ready to keep up with all your multitasking needs. It also offers Turbo Boost technology that enables processing speeds up to 3.5GHz.

This device features unique Apple features like the Touch Bar, which offers customization and shortcuts. It also has a backlit keyboard and a Force Trackpad for precise cursor control.

Four Thunderbolt 3 ports are available for easy connecting, but you won’t have to reach for your charger often. This MacBook Pro has an impressive 10-hour battery life. There’s also 512GB of storage available so you can store important files locally.

You’re securing a deep discount thanks to this model’s grade A refurbished status. That means it will arrive on your doorstep in near-mint condition, with almost no signs of prior use.

Act fast to get your own MacBook Pro for only $399.97 (reg. $1,580) while stock is still available.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

I don't even want to think about how much money I've spent on gaming headsets over the years. The answer is way too much, and all because it took me far too long to give up.

While I've tried the alternatives, I always seem to come back to good old Plex, but as the years have gone by, the pressure to pay has increased. I managed to resist, but recently, out of pure frustration, I put down for a month of premium Plex, and there's no going back.

I can't be too hard on Adobe Creative Cloud. It gave us an affordable and legal way to access tools like Premiere and Photoshop with ongoing support and updates. Before, the upfront cost for these apps was enormous, and you had to pay up all over again when a new version shipped anyway. If you use Creative Cloud to make money, it's also a legitimate business expense–and a fairly-priced one at that.

Do you find that you're getting false positives for your smart home automations? It can be frustrating when automations trigger when they shouldn't. If this is happening to you, setting up a Bayesian sensor may help.

A lot of smart devices are far superior to their dumb equivalents. Smart plugs, for example, can do so much more than traditional plugs can. Sometimes, however, there are occasions where only a dumb device will do.

The package manager is what primarily makes a Linux distribution special. You can always swap out the desktop environment, the window manager, and the shell, but you're stuck with the package manager built into the distro you're using. And unless you go out of your way to avoid the terminal, you will be interacting with the package manager fairly often. So it makes sense to give that choice some thought, especially if you're new to the Linux ecosystem. The Advanced Package Tool (or APT) and Pacman are the two most popular package managers out there, and I'll try to help you pick one.

Modern earbuds can block out the world with active noise cancellation, yet still let you hear someone when you need to, thanks to transparency mode. Still, there’s one small, often overlooked feature that makes it even easier: wear sensors.

If you're like me, you're probably properly sick of everything being a subscription. I recently started purging subscriptions from my life, Microsoft 365 being prime among them. But, if you get rid of apps that you need when you cancel your subscription, how can you keep doing what you were before? These apps are just the ticket to replace key paid services.

I used to waste hours in Microsoft Excel manually cleaning data, fixing formulas, and reformatting worksheets. That was until I realized I could use the Find and Replace dialog (Ctrl+H) to achieve the same results in seconds. As a result, I can now spend more time on the things that matter.

If you want to master Google Sheets on your phone, you need to make a significant change in how you think about it. Your smartphone isn't just for looking at data while you're out and about. It's actually a fully functional, highly optimized platform that handles complex data management and analysis perfectly well.

Some smart home tech feels like it's solving a problem that doesn't exist. Does your fridge really need to be able to tell you when you've run out of milk? Used well, however, smart home tech can help to solve some of the problems you face every day.

I never had much interest in VR headsets, but XR is a different story. I like the idea of working with virtual windows floating around me in my physical space. So after experimenting first with AR glasses, I took the plunge with a full-blown XR headset, and while it wasn’t cheap, I’m glad I did.