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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 Pips

If 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 11, 2026

The 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 11, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 0-5 placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for who watch football.

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.

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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 categories

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

• Yellow: Relinquish

• Green: Oklahoma sports

• Blue: Haliburton's arc

• Purple: Sounds like an NFL team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Gives Up

• Green: Oklahoma Teams

• Blue: Tyrese Haliburton Teams

• Purple: NFL Teams, With The Second Letter Changed

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 #748 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Gives Up: ALLOWS, CONCEDES, SURRENDERS, YIELDS

• Oklahoma Teams: COWBOYS, GOLDEN HURRICANE, SOONERS, THUNDER

• Tyrese Haliburton Teams: CYCLONES, KINGS, PACERS, USA

• NFL Teams, With The Second Letter Changed: BOARS, BULLS, GRANTS, RIMS

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.

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 11, 2026 Cable meaning

An insulated set of wires or fibers used to carry electricity.

Electricity meaning

The set of physical phenomena caused by the presence and motion of matter that has an electric charge.

Internet meaning

A global system of interconnected computer networks that lets devices around the world communicate and share information with each other.

Phone meaning

An electronic device that converts sound (your voice) into electrical or radio signals, allowing you to talk to someone in another location.

Gloves meaning

A fitted piece of handwear that covers the hand and wrist, featuring separate sheaths or compartments for each finger and the thumb.

Ice scraper meaning

A handheld tool with a flat plastic or metal blade used to remove frost, ice and snow from car windows.

Map meaning

A visual or graphic representation of an area, typically drawn to scale on a flat surface.

Registration meaning

The process of entering names, data or details into a formal register or database.

Apply meaning

To use a skill, knowledge, rule or method in a real-world situation.

Harness meaning

To direct and use power effectively

Utilize meaning

To put something into service.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Wield meaning

To hold and use a physical weapon or tool, or to exercise abstract power, authority or influence.

Employ meaning

To hire someone for work or to put something into service

Patrick meaning

A name signifying a member of the ruling, elite class in ancient Rome.

Peruse meaning

To read carefully or in detail.

Syntactic meaning

Relating to, involving or conforming to the rules of syntax.

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 resourceful.

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 11, 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: Leverage

• Green: Expenses

• Blue: Car necessities

• Purple: Scheme

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Put to use

• Green: Monthly bills

• Blue: Things you might find in a glove compartment

• Purple: Ending in gambits

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 #1217 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Put to use: APPLY, HARNESS, UTILIZE, WIELD

• Monthly bills: CABLE, ELECTRICITY, INTERNET, PHONE

• Things you might find in a glove compartment: GLOVES, ICE SCRAPER, MAP, REGISTRATION

• Ending in gambits: EMPLOY, PATRICK, PERUSE, SYNTACTIC

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 old school.

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 October 11, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: They don't make 'em like they used to

The words are related to obsolete things.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things that are outdated.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Old Fashioned.

NYT Strands word list for October 11

• Telegram

• Pager

• Inkwell

• Old Fashioned

• Icebox

• Typewriter

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 have a big reveal.

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 11, 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:

Uncover.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter U.

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...

UNCAP

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.

Whether you are a dedicated Milwaukee fan or want another Milwaukee power tool for your arsenal, you don’t have to pay full price, sales and specials run year-round. You just need to know where to find them, and many deals are set by the manufacturer.

Our phones aren't just personal computers we carry with us — they're the ones we use to control everything else, from speakers and smart home devices to portable power stations. In this world of devices we connect to our phones, there are some quirky but fun accessories you might not even know exist.

Did you know that Walmart makes power tools? Hyper Tough is Walmart's in-house brand, and like most things at Walmart, it's fairly affordable. However, many tools are overlooked, so here are four affordable Hyper Tough tools released in 2026 that you might want to add to your DIY toolkit.

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have merged to form Skydance. The David Ellison-led media company now owns some of the most important franchises from two legacy studios, including Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission: Impossible, Yellowstone, and Dune.

If you look at your Pi-hole dashboard after a few weeks of use you'll see thousands, if not tens of thousands, of blocked queries. Yet, despite your best attempts, there are still ads playing on your TV.

Excel is a brilliant tool for managing data. You can store data, organize, analyze, and even visualize it. However, Excel is not a database, as it lacks many of the primary features a database system offers. No relational integrity, data constraints, or foreign-key support. That's where DBeaver earned a spot on my PC.

Google Pixel has a good reputation in the Android world — this is the brand you buy if you want Android as Google's designers intended. But Google's vision for Android seems increasingly at odds with what matters most to Pixel owners, and it's starting to push people away.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) runs a real Linux kernel inside a lightweight virtual machine right inside your copy of Windows. It's an awesome piece of technology that lets you run Linux apps and do Linux things from within Windows with no dual-booting or any of that other malarkey.

If there's one thing that annoys me about modern internet-connected technology, it's that everything is a subscription these days. Features that should just be part of an appliance, or performed locally by an app, now depend on siphoning a few dollars from your account every month.

I hate driving in a silent car. I love having music playing, singing along to my favorite songs, and occasionally dancing in my seat at a red light (don’t judge me).

I'm just old enough to have participated in the last few years of the floppy disk era, and although I don't feel a particularly strong sense of nostalgia about floppies, I do think that they're interesting. In any case, I've recently started archiving old screen saver disks and screwing around with floppy disk cameras, and I was surprised by all of the tactile, sensory memories that my mind had chosen to bury away.

Walmart is on the defensive after a bombshell Groundwork Collaborative report that it has patented technology to personalize prices. According to the Oct. 5 report, "The Walmart Watchtower," several patent applications describe the data Walmart can collect about its users, from songs on your playlist to your credit report.

Dynamic pricing is the practice of changing prices in a 24-hour period depending on conditions like the weather, and it's something that some policymakers are fighting against. Surveillance pricing, which is similar, uses customer behavior and characteristics to price the same products differently.

SEE ALSO: Claude sent phony tip about an unsolved murder to Philadelphia police

"Combined with the miles-long list of personal data it collects on shoppers, outlined in its most recent privacy notice, these patents show Walmart building detailed consumer profiles — and the infrastructure to deepen them — seemingly so it can price people, not products," the report states.

The report goes on to allege that Walmart plans on charging more depending on who a customer is and what they need, such as charging new parents more for baby products. Another example is adjusting prices based on items in one's cart, like charging more for mayo if someone is already buying tuna.

The report also discusses Walmart's in-house AI shopping assistant, "Sparky," and claims that customers who use it spend more than those who don't (and that Walmart executives brag about this).

The report is written by Groundwork's president and CEO, Lindsay Owens, and its vice president of policy, advocacy, and research, Elizabeth Pancotti.

Walmart's executive vice president of corporate affairs, Dan Bartlett, responded to the report the same day with an open letter on X (and on Walmart's website) specifically to Owens. He denied Groundwork's accusations, saying the report repeatedly mischaracterizes Walmart's pricing practices and use of technology. Walmart won't pursue dynamic pricing and has committed not to, he said.

"Your comments about Sparky also draw unfounded conclusions. We do not use AI to upcharge our customers," he added.

Owens then responded to the "baseless attacks" on Oct. 5 with a new statement. She said, "The confusion around Walmart's pricing practices is of its own making. Walmart says one thing in its damage-control letters to customers, another to its investors behind closed doors, and a different thing entirely to the United States Patent and Trademark Office."

She said she released a new analysis of Walmart patents so Americans can decide for themselves. She also voices concerns about Spark's capabilities and safeguards, particularly following the Hugging Face incident.

Groundwork Collaborative was also part of the Dec. 2025 Consumer Reports investigation about Instacart's price tests, which it claimed upped customers' grocery bills. Instacart ended the tests after a public outcry from both customers and politicians.

Spooky season is here, which means I'm making room on my October watch list for witches, ghosts, and characters that make for interesting stories. Netflix has plenty to choose from, whether you want a supernatural mystery with a shade of comedy or a proper horror series that haunts you for days.

Most productivity software sells you a clean interface and a recurring charge for features you could build yourself in an afternoon. I've paid for tools that promised to do a lot, and they ended up being spreadsheets. People write Excel off as old or basic, but it can do math, it saves everything, and it works offline.