IT General

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever gone fishing.

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: NFL teams

• Green: NHL teams

• Blue: Seen in Cincy

• Purple: German soccer clubs

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: NFL Teams Whose Nicknames Start with B

• Green: NHL Teams Whose Nicknames Start with B

• Blue: Associated with Cincinnati

• Purple: Words in the names of Bundesliga Clubs

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 #672 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NFL Teams Whose Nicknames Start with B: BEARS, BILLS, BRONCOS, BUCCANEERS

• NHL Teams Whose Nicknames Start with B: BLACKHAWKS, BLUE JACKETS, BLUES, BRUINS

• Associated with Cincinnati: BEARCATS, BENGALS, BIG RED MACHINE, BURROW

• Words in the names of Bundesliga Clubs: BAYER, BAYERN, BERLIN, BORUSSIA

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.

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 July 27, 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 July 27, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 27 Pips

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

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

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

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 27 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 27 Pips

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

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

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Red tone.

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

ROUGE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Smelled bad.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STUNK

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Ultra speed.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 27 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TURBO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

What basketball is played on.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

COURT

Final Hurdle hint

To break.

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

SMASH

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

We're just a couple of days away from the Full Moon, so it's looking nice and bright in the sky. Keep reading to find out what you might be able to spot on its surface, with or without visual aids.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, July 27, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Gibbous phase, with 95% of its surface visible.

Using just your naked eye, tonight you should be to see the Mares Fecunditatis, Serenitatis, and Tranquillitatis. Binoculars will also help you to see the Mare Nectaris, Mare Humorum, and the Endymion Crater. If you have a telescope, this will help you see all this plus the Apollo 12, 16, and 17 landing spots.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to complete its journey around Earth, passing through eight distinct phases during each lunar cycle, according to NASA. While the Moon’s same side is always visible from our planet, the portion of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it moves along its orbit. These shifting levels of illumination are what create the different appearances we see throughout the month, from a slender crescent shape to a half-lit Moon and finally a bright Full Moon, before the cycle begins once again.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), you tricky devil. Not only are you a witch, but you've also been hiding a clutch of dragon eggs from everyone this whole time!

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' finally includes a key book detail about Rhaenyra and the Iron Throne

In House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 6, Alys reveals to Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) that she's been guarding five dragon eggs, which now look gray, stony, and unable to hatch. Once Aemond sees them, he whispers, "Dreamfyre." That's the name of the blue dragon ridden by Queen Rhaena Targaryen, sister to King Jaehaerys, and therefore great aunt to Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Daemon (Matt Smith). Now, Dreamfyre is ridden by Helaena (Phia Saban), although the dragon has yet to make an appearance on the show.

Alys having dragon eggs at Harrenhal is a departure from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, which doesn't dive too deep into the beginnings of Alys and Aemond's relationship. However, the presence of dragon eggs at Harrenhal is consistent with Fire and Blood's lore.

Where did Dreamfyre lay her eggs?

Dreamfyre was a particularly fertile dragon, laying at least three clutches of eggs in her lifetime. One clutch, laid at Fair Isle, became coveted by several lords and ladies, with the Lannisters even offering to buy them. Rhaena refused the offer.

Dreamfyre made her lair in Dragonstone, and then, following Rhaena's death, she lived in the Dragonpit in King's Landing. But between those two points, as Alys points out in the show, Dreamfyre did have a stint in Harrenhal. (Notice how she speaks as if from personal experience, suggesting Alys is far more older — and therefore otherworldly — than she may seem.) During that time, given Dreamfyre's fertility and her presence at Harrenhal, it's entirely possible that she could have laid eggs there within the book's lore.

However, what's more intriguing now that these eggs are in play is what House of the Dragon plans to do with them next. Could Aemond and Alys' union truly spark a new generation of dragons? If they have a child, would they bond with one of the eggs? Again, they look pretty stony, so the answer doesn't seem likely. Then again, Alys has many a trick up her sleeve, so I wouldn't put hatching a dragon egg too far out of the realm of possibility. (It would be far out of Fire and Blood's canon, though.)

Alternatively, Alys could be manipulating Aemond, luring him in with the promise of more dragons while Vhagar remains absent. Likely, the situation is some combination of both: Alys wants a return of magic and power to Harrenhal on her terms, and she sees a path towards it in the vulnerable Aemond. One thing is for certain: With the introduction of these eggs and with Alicent Hightower's (Olivia Cooke) journey to Westeros' most cursed castle, we're headed for a showdown at Harrenhal that could look quite different from the book.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) time on the Iron Throne has been an absolute nightmare.

Her treasury? Empty. The Gold Cloaks? Murdered. Tumbleton? Taken hostage by Ormund Hightower (James Norton). Now, as if things can't get any worse, her own throne has betrayed her.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon': What in the world is Alicent going to do at Harrenhal?

In House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 6, Rhaenyra endures yet another rough session of listening to her subjects' petitions. The citizens of King's Landing are worried about rising costs of their basic needs, as well as the lack of protection from the Gold Cloaks. Rhaenyra is unequipped to answer their worries, and as she stews in her discomfort and rising panic, the Iron Throne cuts her finger and draws blood.

Rhaenyra hides her injury, but as she does, she looks towards one of the statues of the Targaryen kings lining the throne room. It's that of her father, Viserys (Paddy Considine), seen holding what looks like a model of Old Valyria. Viserys was no stranger to getting chopped up by the Iron Throne himself. Throughout his reign, he suffered many minor injuries from the throne's swords. They were the Iron Throne's way of saying he was unworthy, that he was losing his grip on the realm. Eventually, the wounds festered and led to his drawn-out, rotting death. From just this one cut alone, Rhaenyra sees her father's fate playing out before her. She knows her time on the Iron Throne is in peril.

A similar sequence plays out in George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, although it takes place far earlier in Rhaenyra's reign. When she first sits on the Iron Throne in the book, Rhaenyra picks up cuts on her leg and palm and leaves the throne room with blood running down her body for everyone to see. It's visual proof for the realm that the Iron Throne is straight up rejecting her.

When House of the Dragon initially omitted that detail, I thought it was the show's way of legitimizing Rhaenyra's rule and silencing the "historical" sources in Fire and Blood, who may have embellished her downfall. Now, though, it's clear that the show was just taking a longer approach to Rhaenyra's decline as a ruler. Instead of immediately shunning her, the show's version of the Iron Throne must have thought, "You know what? I'm gonna give her some time to prove herself." When that didn't work out, it decided it was time to give her a very painful wake-up call by turning her hand into mincemeat.

The cut is still small enough that Rhaenyra is able to keep it private, unlike in Fire and Blood, where it's a public affair. Still, as Rhaenyra keeps unravelling, could the Iron Throne keep doing more visible damage until, like Viserys, Rhaenyra's unworthiness is visible to everyone?

More importantly, what are the Iron Throne's criteria for a good ruler? Because it certainly wasn't slicing and dicing Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) while he sat — unworthily! — on the Iron Throne. Nor did it chop up the tyrannical Joffrey Baratheon when he was king. Did the Iron Throne get lazy, or is a non-sentient chair of swords just maybe not the best judge of a monarch?

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Another House of the Dragon episode, another possible death for Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint).

The Lord of the Tides had a brush with fate in Season 3, episode 1, during the Battle of the Gullet, but even going overboard in full armour wasn't enough to stop him from washing up on the beach relatively unharmed.

The question is, has his luck finally ran out?

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect What happens at the end of House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 6?

After absolutely laying into Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) when she refuses to legitimise his sons, Corlys goes a bit AWOL. He's found by his son Alyn (Abubakar Salim) out in the woods, casually butchering members of the Triarchy who have apparently been carrying out raids on Driftmark.

Alyn tells Corlys that he's needed back in King's Landing, but he initially seems reluctant — at least until the episode's end. In the final scene of episode 6, we hear him giving a speech to his men, telling them they're needed back in the city. As he stares at the hanged bodies, though, Lord Ormund's righthand man, Bold Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain) appears behind him with men of his own.

"Who are you?" says Corlys. "What's your errand?"

Realising Ser Jon doesn't mean well, Corlys draws his blade — but it's too late. A man jumps on him from behind and wraps something around his neck.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon' cast unpack Season 3, episode 2's biggest moments Is Lord Corlys actually dead this time?

Surely Lord Corlys can't come back from the dead twice, can he? Well, even though we don't see exactly what happens to him, we do have a few clues to work from. First, after the man jumps on him, there's another distant shot of him struggling. We see a second man approach, but the camera cuts away before we can tell exactly what Corlys' attackers are up to. Crucially, though, Corlys is still moving when we last see him. He's not dead yet.

Second, we have to think about Ormund's motivation here. Obviously, he's sent Bold Jon to attack Corlys, but would the Velaryon lord be worth more to him dead or alive? Killing Corlys would certainly weaken Rhaenyra's position further, but taking him hostage could be even more powerful — not only does it deprive Rhaenyra of her re-enforcements, but it also gives Team Green a pretty big bargaining chip.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has made several huge deviations from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood. It cooked up Ormund Hightower's (James Norton) entire plan to crown Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) from scratch, and it gave Nettles' book storyline to Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell).

Now, though, it unleashes what could be its biggest change yet: sending Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) to Harrenhal.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 family tree: How the Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons connect

Alicent spends the majority of her time onscreen within the confines of the Red Keep. In fact, starting in Season 2, every time she has left the Red Keep has marked a major shift from House of the Dragon's source material. She met with Rhaenyra in the Grand Sept to discuss peace efforts, took a cleansing swim in the Kingswood, and snuck onto Dragonstone to offer Rhaenyra a game-changing deal. None of these excursions are in Fire and Blood. Then again, House of the Dragon has often played fast and loose with Alicent and Rhaenyra's book dynamic, complicating it nicely by making them childhood friends.

The show's latest installment in its "Let Alicent Hightower Go Outside" initiative doubles as an assassination attempt. Rhaenyra knows that she needs to take Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) out. She also knows that he's holed up in Harrenhal and separated from his dragon Vhagar, offering her the perfect chance to strike.

However, just because Aemond is vulnerable doesn't mean he's unstoppable. Rhaenyra realizes that if she sends many soldiers to take him out, he can just flee again and become more untraceable. Instead, she decides to send just one sword, accompanied by someone he trusts: Alicent. She'll lure him into a false sense of security, and then the assassin will dispatch of him.

This whole storyline is a show-only invention, as Alicent remains in Red Keep mode from the moment Rhaenyra takes the Iron Throne in Fire and Blood. So, there really is no way of knowing what fate awaits Alicent at Harrenhal. On the one hand, she knows how unpredictable Aemond is, and she's willing to do anything to protect Helaena. Will that be enough to make her stand by as one of her sons — granted, the creepy son who did kiss her — is murdered? Or will she try to warn him?

I'm leaning towards the former (again, the Aemond kiss clearly shook Alicent), but there's a big wild card in play: Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). The witchy guardian of Harrenhal has ensnared Aemond by weaponizing his mommy issues and showing off her clutch of dragon eggs. She's also proven that she has some sense of the goings-on around Westeros, based on her knowledge of the Battle of the Gullet in episode 1. She'll likely be able to sniff out Alicent's true purpose at Harrenhal from miles away. And if Alicent makes an enemy of Alys, she'll definitely wish she'd have stayed cooped up back in the Red Keep.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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

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 July 27, 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: Simone Biles

• Green: Pointy

• Blue: Segments

• Purple: Found online

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Gymnastics apparatus

• Green: Long tapered things

• Blue: Kinds of shifts

• Purple: Icons on a shopping site

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 #1142 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Gymnastics apparatus: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT

• Long tapered things: CARROT, ICICLE, KNITTING NEEDLE, STALACTITE

• Kinds of shifts: DOPPLER, GRAVEYARD, PARADIGM, STICK

• Icons on a shopping site: BELL, CART, HEART, MAGNIFYING GLASS

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 27, 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 ride public transport.

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 July 27, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Let the journey begin

The words are related to travel.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe public transport.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Train Station.

NYT Strands word list for July 27

• Platform

• Kiosk

• Ticket

• Counter

• Bench

• Track

• Train Station

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 good at pretending.

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 July 27, 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 July 27, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Pretender.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

POSER

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: Starting July 26, get 15% off two or more items during Casetify's Back-To-School Sale using promo code BTS26.

Opens in a new window Credit: Casetify Casetify Back-To-School Sale Get 15% off two or more items using promo code BTS26 Shop Now

I live life on the edge, which is to say I don't even have insurance on my phone. Instead, I put all my faith (and my device's safety) into a good case and a glass screen protector. If you're sending kids back to school, you probably want that same level of protection for their devices, especially since buying a reliable case is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a shattered screen or buying them a brand-new phone.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S26 phone cases: Where to get fun ones right now

To help stretch the life of the devices you already own, Casetify is launching a back-to-school promotion. Starting July 26 and running through August 9, you can get 15% off two or more items by using the promo code BTS26 at checkout. (The only catch is that your cart has to include at least one phone case to get the discount.) If you want to save a little extra, checking out through the Casetify app will get you an additional 5% off.

If you prefer to buy things in person, Casetify is available in 343 Target stores nationwide right now, so you can just grab a case while you check off the rest of your school supply list. Just keep in mind that the BTS26 promo code is strictly for online and app orders.

Luxury SUVs have never been more impressive, but they've also never been more expensive. Premium brands continue to command hefty price tags, even as many of the features that once defined the segment have become increasingly common elsewhere.

TL;DR: PDNob Pro PDF Editor combines AI-powered editing, OCR, document summaries, file conversion, and e-signatures in one app. Get a lifetime subscription for $34.99 (reg. $349.95) with code SAVE15.

Opens in a new window Credit: PDNob PDNob Pro PDF Editor: Lifetime Subscription $34.99
$349.95 Save $314.96   Get Deal

If you only open a PDF editor a few times per month, paying for a PDF app subscription can feel like overkill. PDNob Pro PDF Editor bundles editing, AI tools, OCR, and file conversions into a one-time purchase for just $34.99 (reg. $349.95) with code SAVE15.

At its core, PDNob handles the PDF basics you’d expect. You can edit text and images without wrecking the formatting, merge and split files, convert PDFs into Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents, annotate drafts, fill and sign forms, and redact sensitive information before sharing. Equipped with OCR technology, it can also turn scanned contracts, receipts, books, and other image-based documents into editable, searchable files.

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It’s more than just a standard PDF editor, though. Instead of reading an entire manual or report, you can use its AI tools to ask questions about a document, generate summaries, translate passages, or pull out key information in seconds. The lifetime license includes 6,000 AI credits, making those features useful long after your first project.

It also works across Windows, Mac, and iPhone, so you’re not locked into a single operating system if you switch devices throughout the day. One license supports two users with simultaneous use on two devices, includes 20GB of cloud storage, and comes with lifetime updates.

Normally $349.95, you can get a lifetime subscription to PDNob Pro PDF Editor for just $34.99 with code SAVE15.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Most people have played around with the smart automation features on our phones. Between Samsung's routines, Google Assistant, and Gemini, it feels like there are plenty of ways to automate a job. However, I've always found that they're disappointingly surface-level, especially when you compare them to the Shortcuts app for iPhones, which is stellar.

Since jailbreaking my Kindle, I’ve had a lot of fun exploring what I can do with it. At the heart of everything is KOReader, the document viewer app that you can use instead of the stock Kindle reading software. There's a lot to discover in KOReader, including some very useful plugins.

As new car prices continue to climb, buyers are increasingly finding that stepping into the used luxury market can offer far more value than buying a brand-new mainstream model. While the Toyota Camry remains one of the safest choices for comfort, efficiency, and reliability, there are alternatives that deliver the same low-stress ownership experience with a much more premium feel.

Most people who care about email privacy end up thinking about how to hide themselves. There are plenty of ways to do it with Gmail, but none are actually as safe as you think. Gmail doesn't give you a good way to keep your identity private, even if you try using multiple emails. The best way is just to move on and use the services built for privacy and aliases.

An independent group that monitors potential manipulation of sports competitions has announced the results of a yet-to-be-released report examining irregularities related to betting and gambling on FIFA World Cup matches.

The organization called Group of Copenhagen monitored all 104 matches and determined that 15 games rose to the level of requiring enhanced monitoring. The group also assessed 12 major controversies from an "integrity risk perspective."

SEE ALSO: Pornhub traffic tanked in Spain and Argentina during World Cup final

While the Group of Copenhagen has yet to release its full detailed report, the New York Times has reported that a few of these flagged events involve the online prediction market Polymarket.

The report singles out how $4.8 million was placed on Polymarket for Spain not to defeat Cape Verde in their group stage game, which was the first game either team played in this year's tournament. The game's result, a goalless draw, was considered to be one of the biggest shocks of the entire World Cup. Spain was a tournament favorite and went on to win the championship. Cape Verde was playing its first-ever World Cup game.

However, much more notable than a surprising game outcome is the market that was opened on Polymarket based on the red card issued to the U.S. Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun.

According to the report, a Polymarket market was opened on July 2, which asked: “Will Folarin Balogun play against Belgium?” That was the same day that Balogun was issued a red card in U.S.'s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The red card meant Balogun would not be able to play in the match against Belgium.

However, on July 5, before the U.S. vs. Belgium match, FIFA announced that Balogun would be allowed to play and that his ban would be suspended. President Donald Trump would take credit for FIFA's decision shortly after, saying he had a phone call with FIFA head Gianni Infantino. Reporting later confirmed that U.S. officials went to work immediately following the red card being issued to have it overturned.

Did Trump officials who were privy to this information partake in insider trading to make a profit on Polymarket? It's a legitimate question to ask, especially in light of recent news that Trump's teleprompter operator profited from their position by placing trades on Kalshi.

Prediction markets have blown up in popularity in recent years. Kalshi, a prediction market that partnered with the World Cup's official prediction market sponsor, ADI Predictstreet, has said that a record $1.2 billion in trades was placed on its platform to predict the World Cup winner. The company said it also gained 3 million new users directly from the World Cup.

According to experts interviewed by the New York Times, the irregularities don't necessarily mean that any manipulation occurred. While the Group of Copenhagen's research was coordinated with FIFA’s own Integrity Task Force, FIFA has released its own findings claiming that “no suspicious betting activity or indications of match manipulation in connection with any fixture” had been identified. 

A close friend recently remarked that nobody wants a Raspberry Pi anymore. This is someone who has built up an extensive homelab setup and who frequently takes on projects powered by single-board computers.