IT General

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

Example.

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

MODEL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A thick material.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 25, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TWEED

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Parent's sister.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 25, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

AUNTY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Australian dog.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DINGO

Final Hurdle hint

Octo.

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

EIGHT

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 Moon is brighter again tonight, with most of its surface now illuminated as we head towards the Full Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, May 25, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. Tonight, 69% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

When you look up tonight, without any visual aids, you'll be able to spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis, as well as the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater, Apennine Mountains, and the Clavius Crater. Finally, with a telescope you'll see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots and the Rima Ariadaeus.

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 around 29.5 days to orbit Earth completely, passing through eight phases during that time. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the way sunlight hits its surface changes throughout its orbit, creating the familiar full, half, and crescent appearances we see in the night sky. Altogether, the lunar cycle consists 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 love a good deal.

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 May 25, 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: On sale

• Green: Just a smidge

• Blue: Phone lingo

• Purple: I see you

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Common promo items

• Green: Tiny bit

• Blue: Texting abbreviations

• Purple: Eye___

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 #1079 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Common promo items: CAP, PIN, SHIRT, STICKER

• Tiny bit: JOT, SCRAP, SHRED, WHIT

• Texting abbreviations: ATM, CYA, LOL, TIA

• Eye___: BALL, BROW, LASH, LID

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 25, 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 served your country.

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.

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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 25, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Thank you

The words are related to a holiday.

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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a military day of observation.

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 Memorial Day.

NYT Strands word list for May 25

• Service

• Virtue

• Protecton

• Sacrifice

• Memorial Day

• Honor

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 like to stop by.

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 25, 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 25, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To drop by.

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Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter I appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

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...

VISIT

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.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Babbel through this exclusive StackSocial offer for $159 with promo code LEARN before the deal ends June 2.

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When you’re in the mood for a movie that trades jump scares for dread, explosions for unease, and clear answers for unnerving ambiguity, nothing beats a psychological thriller. The good ones don’t just tell a story — they burrow into your brain and force you to consider whether the real danger lies within the characters on screen or within your perception of reality.

Good old CDs, how I miss them so. I miss when an optical drive bay was a standard thing in every single PC, and when instead of Spotify and YouTube, we all had to buy the albums and deal with the songs we didn't love quite as much. But I'm not here to rant about the state of the world, nor am I here to go on and on about my never-ending nostalgia for old storage media.

The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling small SUV in America, one with an ironclad reputation for reliability, practicality, and resale value that few vehicles in any segment can match. Since arriving in the U.S. in 1996, Toyota has sold millions of units, and comparing anything to the RAV4 might seem like a bold move. To suggest the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos can stand toe-to-toe with the mighty RAV4 is a bold claim.

Listening on AirPods used to sound great. Lately, however, I've noticed I'm missing something. Was it the quality of the CD rip I was using, or the device?

Compact SUVs are one of the most competitive segments in the automotive market, where value, comfort, efficiency, and technology all matter just as much as badge appeal. Even small shifts in pricing, supply, or equipment can have a noticeable impact on sales, especially when shoppers are cross-shopping the usual segment leaders. In 2026, that balance has started to shift in a way few expected.

After a recent phone upgrade, I had my old Moto G 2025 just lying around, waiting for a fun experiment or project to give its newly disconnected life purpose. Smart TVs and devices like the Nvidia Shield have their issues, but I thought, "Why not mess with Android TV a bit and set up an ATV experience on my phone?"

Planning a family road trip means finding an SUVthat can do more than simply carry people and luggage. Comfort, cargo space, efficiency, ride quality, and long-distance refinement all become much more important when you’re spending hours on the highway. The best road-trip SUVs are the ones that make those long drives feel effortless while still offering enough practicality for the entire family.

In the 2010s, the file explorer apps Android phones came with were, frankly, pretty bad. Then came ES File Explorer, which quickly garnered millions of downloads thanks to getting the basics right and offering a fully-featured file explorer system for Android.

I am a recent convert to physical media — yet even as someone getting back into buying discs in 2026, I haven't been buying Blu-rays. Like many Americans, I still pick up DVDs instead. These aren't great times for the Blu-ray format, and don't expect a turnaround in 2026.

Android Auto can be a temperamental system. It might work fine during your morning commute, then inexplicably force close the next day. When technology works well, it's great. But when it fails, it can be distracting on the road. This was my issue, until I realized there is a simple fix I found through troubleshooting that more people should talk about.

Instead of being replaced by SSDs, mechanical hard drives have become bigger, faster, and cheaper per gigabyte than ever before. There's a good chance that you use at least one internal or external hard drive to store things that don't benefit from SSD speed, but still need a reliable storage device.

A Kindle is a great way to read books, as you can carry a huge number of books around with you on one small device. If you jailbreak your Kindle, you can do so much more with it.

Mesh Wi-Fi has its fair share of superpowers, but a bad setup can also create new bottlenecks. Mesh systems are supposed to be this magical fix for bad Wi-Fi, and they can be. You place a few nodes around the house, let them communicate, and suddenly the dead zones are gone.

You've probably heard someone online say Linux can replace Windows, and you've probably also heard someone else say that's completely wrong—and honestly, they're both right. Whether Linux makes sense for you has nothing to do with which OS is "better" and everything to do with what you actually use your computer for. If you've been on the fence about Linux, or just wondering what all the fuss is about, this breakdown will actually help answer that question.