IT General

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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 May 18, 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 May 18, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for May 18 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for May 18 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for May 18 Pips

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (11): Everything in this space must be greater than 11. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 6-3, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (14): Everything in this space must add up to 14. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-1, 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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require some sports and pop culture knowledge.

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.

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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: 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: Cold streak

• Green: Run the ball

• Blue: Oregon teams

• Purple: Reads like a baseball team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Slide

• Green: Football Running Plays

• Blue: An Oregon Athlete

• Purple: MLB Teams, Minus the Last Two Letters

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 #602 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Slide: DECLINE, DIP, DOWNTURN, SLUMP

• Football Running Plays: COUNTER, DIVE, DRAW, SWEEP

• An Oregon Athlete: DUCK, THORN, TIMBER, TRAIL BLAZER

• MLB Teams, Minus the Last Two Letters: ANGE, DODGE, MARINE, RANGE

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.

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

Dull.

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

VAPID

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To con.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TRICK

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

To force entry.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BARGE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A rental agreement.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

LEASE

Final Hurdle hint

A large venue.

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

ARENA

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

There's a small sliver of the Moon in the sky tonight, but is it enough to spot any surface features?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, May 18, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 3% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Unfortunately, there is still too little of the Moon's surface lit up to be able to see anything on its surface.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, moving through eight distinct phases along the way. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the changing angle of sunlight as it orbits creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, the lunar cycle is made up of eight main phases:

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a baseball fan.

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 May 18, 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: Same sound

• Green: To break

• Blue: Baseballer

• Purple: Sweet plants

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Homophones

• Green: Rupture

• Blue: MLB player

• Purple: Fruit anagrams

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 #1072 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Homophones: PAIR, PARE, PEAR, PÉRE

• Rupture: BLOW, CRACK, POP, SPLIT

• MLB player: PADRE, RED, ROYAL, TWIN

• Fruit anagrams: CHEAP, EARP, LUMP, WIKI

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 May 18, 2026

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 love tropical fruits.

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 May 18, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The daily rind

The words are related to fruit.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe tangy fruits.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Citrus.

NYT Strands word list for May 18

• Clementine

• Lime

• Kumquat

• Pomelo

• Citrus

• Orange

• Tangerine

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 always hesitant.

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 May 18, 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 May 18, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Reluctant.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

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...

LOATH

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.

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.

When you switch to streaming, you expect instant, perfect 4K video. You're paying for a top-tier, multi-gigabit fiber connection, so it's frustrating when your Amazon Fire TV Stick still freezes during a key movie scene. Buffering like this is one of the most annoying parts of home entertainment, but you can stop it. The problem is rarely the speed of the internet coming into your house. Instead, it's the data's physical struggle to reach your device, so it is great that it has a hidden port for you.

TL;DR: This Babbel lifetime promotion gives you access to 14 languages, offline lessons, AI conversation tools, and 10,000+ hours of language education for a one-time $159 payment with the StackSocial code LEARN.

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Most language-learning apps are really good at helping people feel productive for about six days before the notifications start getting ignored. Babbel feels different because the lessons were actually designed by professional linguists and educators with real-world conversations in mind.

On the flip side, Babbel takes a different approach. New U.S. users can get a Babbel Language Learning Lifetime Subscription for $159 (reg. $646.20) with StackSocial’s code LEARN, giving you permanent access to all 14 languages on the platform.

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And honestly, the biggest reason people stick with Babbel is that it feels built for real humans with jobs, schedules, and functioning attention spans. Lessons are short — usually around 10 to 15 minutes — and focus heavily on practical conversations. Topics include travel, dining, work, shopping, introductions, and everyday communication that actually matters.

Babbel was also developed with input from more than 100 linguists and language educators, and the teaching approach leans heavily into conversation and retention rather than gamified gratification.

You can learn on your phone, tablet, desktop, or laptop, and your progress syncs automatically across devices. There’s also offline access, which makes it easy to keep practicing during flights, commutes, or anywhere Wi-Fi becomes questionable.

The lifetime access angle is really what makes this deal stand out, though. Instead of paying another monthly subscription indefinitely, this is a one-time purchase that gives you ongoing access to all 14 languages for as long as you want to keep learning.

For people who travel often, work internationally, love learning new skills, or simply want to stop saying “I should really learn Spanish someday,” Babbel feels like one of those purchases that you will be happy you made well into the future.

Get lifetime access to Babbel Language Learning for a one-time $159 (MSRP $546.20) with the StackSocial code LEARN for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Are you staring at a sea of empty cells and don't know where to begin? Excel feels far less intimidating when you treat it as a toolbox instead of a test. These beginner-friendly projects help you create practical trackers and planners in under an hour while learning core skills.

The newest version of Mazda’s compact SUV may be more modern and more practical than ever before, but not every change has been for the better. As automakers continue moving toward bigger screens, softer driving dynamics, and broader mainstream appeal, some of the sharpness and character that once made certain crossovers stand out is starting to disappear. That is exactly why some buyers may be better off shopping slightly used instead of buying brand new.

You probably already use Claude for the occasional question or writing your emails, but that’s barely scratching the surface of what it can do. There’s a big difference between using Claude as a chatbot and using it as an automation tool that quietly handles the parts of your digital life you’ve been avoiding for years. If you’ve been curious about what agentic AI actually looks like in everyday life, here are five boring tasks I automated with Claude.

Elon Musk's space exploration company, SpaceX, could be going public sooner than many expected.

According to a new report from Reuters, SpaceX is "accelerating" its IPO launch in hopes of going public next month. SpaceX is aiming to make the official announcement this week to promote the IPO launch to potential investors in June. 

SEE ALSO: The Musk vs Altman trial: What happens next

Musk's space company is eyeing a June 12 listing date, with an early share sale the day before. SpaceX would be listed under the SPCX ticker on Nasdaq.

According to previous reports, SpaceX is seeking a valuation of more than $1.75 trillionMusk and the company have recently made moves that clearly show intent to launch SpaceX as a publicly traded company. Earlier this year, Musk's SpaceX acquired Musk's AI company xAI in order to bolster the combined company's value.

In addition, recently announced deals between SpaceX and big tech and AI companies would certainly be eye-catching for potential investors.

Just last week, a report found that Google was in talks with SpaceX to launch rockets into space for orbital AI data centers. Musk previously touted these data centers in space as essential for future AI technology and a prime reason as to why SpaceX needed to acquire xAI.  Prior to that news report, AI company Anthropic and SpaceX announced a partnership that included potential orbital AI data centers.

All signs point to SpaceX going public – and very soon. The only thing that's unclear at this time is exactly what date the IPO launch will take place. And, it seems we may also know that in the near future, too.

Now Playing wasn’t one of the reasons I wanted to switch to Pixel. I knew about it and, aside from thinking, "Okay, so it's an offline Shazam, whatever," I didn’t give it much thought. Worse still, the feature was completely broken during the first few days of owning my Pixel 10 Pro, so I couldn’t even test it.

Pixar is the champion of animation, but not all of their movies have had the chance to shine. For 40 years, the studio has brought families together across 30 movies. Certain movies never enter the discussion of being among the studios' best — they were overshadowed by other films, or they went direct-to-streaming on Disney+.

We all have one sitting in a drawer somewhere. That phone you replaced two or three years ago, still working fine but gathering dust because the battery isn't quite what it used to be, or because the camera on the new one is just better. You keep telling yourself you'll do something with it eventually.

Far too often, I think of something to add to my to-do list, but then by the time I've gotten around to opening the list and adding the tasks, I've forgotten what it was. I decided to see if I could quickly add tasks to a to-do list with my voice by using Home Assistant.

While I’ve got a pretty solid gaming desktop, my partner is still rocking an ancient Windows desktop that I used for gaming for a few years before I built a new gaming PC in 2020. It’s powered by what was once an excellent budget gaming CPU, the dual-core Intel Pentium G4560, along with an AMD Radeon R9 270 GPU, and only 4GB of RAM. The machine originally had 8GB of DDR4 RAM running in dual-channel mode, but one of the sticks died a few years ago.

I miss the days of binging one show over the course of several months. It’s how I completed shows like The Wire and Friday Night Lights. I must admit that I streamed the shows in college when I had significantly more free time on my hands. Since I write about entertainment for a living, I have less spare time to watch long-running shows that take weeks. Occasionally, I just need a show that I can finish on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.

Tradition continues on Weekend Update.

On the season 51 finale of Saturday Night Live, Colin Jost and Michael Che continued their long-running gag of writing each other's jokes to cap the season's last Weekend Update.

From penis jokes to Michael Jackson references, Jost and Che made sure this season's Weekend Update joke swap was as brutal as ever. Also, it seems like Jost just promised a big hairstyle change, courtesy of what Che wrote for him to say, of course.