Technology

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

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: Audience

• Green: Crashing the boards

• Blue: Famous Madisons

• Purple: Tee

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: People in the Stands

• Green: Basket off an Offensive Rebound

• Blue: Madison___

• Purple: Preceded by "T-"

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 #751 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• People in the Stands: CROWD, FANS, SPECTATORS, SUPPORTERS

• Basket off an Offensive Rebound: FOLLOW, PUTBACK, STICK-BACK, TIP-IN

• Madison___: BUNGARNER, CHOCK, KEYS, SQUARE GARDEN

• Preceded by "T-": BALL, MAC, SHIRT, WOLVES

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 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 14, 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 14, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 14 Pips

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 14 Pips

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

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

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

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 14 Pips

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (14): Everything in this space must add up to 14. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-1, 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.

If you need more proof that our lives are quickly turning into a 'Mission Impossible' movie, we present to you the latest news coming from OpenAI.

In a post on Tuesday, OpenAI said that it had discovered a "sophisticated recording device" hidden inside one of the company's offices.

Turns out, an employee planted the device to an unknown end, and he was, in OpenAI's wording, "terminated," prompting some commenters to jokingly wonder what, exactly, that means.

The company also said it used its own models to "understand the device and where it had come from." Guess you can't even do spy stuff without the help of AI these days.

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The U.S. Department of Justice has more details on the case. The employee in question is a 35-year-old Saudi national named Abdulrahman Alfozan, who worked as an OpenAI engineer and was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 9.

The DoJ published a photo of Alfozan checking the recording device he had planted in OpenAI's office. Credit: justice.gov

According to the prosecutors, he inserted the device into a USB port on the back of a TV set in an OpenAI executive conference room in one of the company's San Francisco offices. The device, wrapped in toilet paper, was installed on Sept. 28 and was discovered a few days later. OpenAI says the device's contents were encrypted.

If you see something like this plugged in your TV, you've probably gone too far in your AI research. Credit: justice.gov

Alfozan also left a bag containing another recording device and a few other items in another room in the building. He is charged with using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications, according to the FBI. If found guilty, Alfozan could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison and fined up to $250,000.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI to bring in $20 billion less than previously expected

OpenAI says it currently has no indications that Alfozan successfully obtained model weights, source code, or customer data. The room where the device was planted, however, was a place where "highly confidential" technical, commercial, and strategic information was frequently discussed.

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TL;DR: Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of interesting Champions League fixtures taking place this week, including Roma vs. Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. Real Madrid won their opening game in this competition, whereas Roma had to settle for a draw. Of course, Roma could leapfrog their rivals by winning this clash.

If you want to watch Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Roma vs. Real Madrid?

Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 14. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico.

How to watch Roma vs. Real Madrid for free

Roma vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Roma vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Roma vs. Real Madrid (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is back this week, and all eyes are on the huge Man City vs. PSG matchup. Man City have been in the news a lot lately, but not for footballing reasons. Despite all the controversy around Man City right now, they are top of the Premier League and won their opening game in this competition. The defending champions PSG will provide a stern test.

If you want to watch Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Man City vs. PSG?

Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 14. This fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Man City vs. PSG for free

Man City vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Man City vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Man City vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Man City vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream LASK vs. Liverpool in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is back this week with a number of fascinating matchups. LASK vs. Liverpool is probably not the biggest game on the schedule, but we're expecting an exciting matchup between two sides that need a win. LASK lost their opening fixture, and Liverpool are looking to bounce back after a humbling defeat to Man City at the weekend.

If you want to watch LASK vs. Liverpool in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is LASK vs. Liverpool?

LASK vs. Liverpool in the Champions League kicks off at 12:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 14. This fixture takes place at the Raiffeisen Arena.

How to watch LASK vs. Liverpool for free

LASK vs. Liverpool is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream LASK vs. Liverpool for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch LASK vs. Liverpool for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream LASK vs. Liverpool (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream LASK vs. Liverpool in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like comic books.

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.

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 14, 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: Tease

• Green: Racketeering

• Blue: Winning

• Purple: Giant words

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: Hint

• Green: Tennis shots

• Blue: Superheroes, with "the"

• Purple: Start with "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum"

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 #1221 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Hint: FLICKER, SUGGESTION, TRACE, WHIFF

• Tennis shots: SERVE, SLICE, SMASH, VOLLEY

• Superheroes, with "the": FLASH, HULK, PUNISHER, THING

• Starting with "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum": FEED, FIERY, FOMENT, FUMBLE

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.

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 14, 2026 Feed meaning

To provide food.

Thing meaning

A type of noun.

Serve meaning

To provide.

Suggestion meaning

To offer a recommendation.

Fiery meaning

Something proven combustible.

Flicker meaning

An unstable light.

Flash meaning

A bright moment of light.

Foment meaning

To stir up.

Smash meaning

To destroy or crush.

Hulk meaning

A large, damaged object.

Trace meaning

To track.

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.

Fumble meaning

To drop or mishandle something.

Slice meaning

To cut something.

Whiff meaning

A hint.

Volley meaning

A discharge of an array of weapons.

Punisher meaning

Someone who punishes.

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you've read a few fairy tales.

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 14, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Folk & fairy tale twosomes

The words are related to characters.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe exactly as the hint implies: characters whose stories are linked.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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 Once upon a time.

NYT Strands word list for October 14

• Tortoise

• Hare

• Beauty

• Beast

• Frog

• Princess

• Once upon a time

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 aren't serious.

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 14, 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:

Just kidding.

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 P.

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...

PSYCH

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.

VisionQuest reunites viewers with Vision (Paul Bettany), the synthezoid first introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, he's not the only AI from the MCU to reappear in Marvel's latest television outing.

SEE ALSO: We watched 'VisionQuest's first episode at New York Comic Con. It's a trip.

That's because VisionQuest boasts a supporting troupe of Stark Industries AI who have popped up throughout the MCU. Within Vision's simulated mind palace (or mind mansion, really), they manifest as human avatars who help him with everything from basic upkeep to human socialization. From smaller-name robots like Dum-E (Henry Lewis) and U (Jonathan Sayer) to full-on Avengers villains like Ultron (James Spader), here's your guide to the AI characters of VisionQuest.

D.U.M.-E and U

First introduced: Iron Man

Created together during Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) time at MIT, Dum-E and U are a package deal. They're a pair of hydraulic arms that helped Tony assemble his Iron Man armors.

Within Vision's simulation, the pair manifest as handymen, although VisionQuest lists their more official roles onscreen in a series of helpful bullet points. Thanks to these, we learn that Dum-E is a general maintenance AI in charge of limb servo control and fire suppression. Like Dum-E, U is a general maintenance AI, as well as a defragger and video analyzer.

J.A.R.V.I.S.

First introduced: Iron Man

Arguably the most recognizable Stark AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) served as Tony Stark's AI assistant and was also uploaded into all the Iron Man suits. Ultron almost destroyed him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Tony uploaded what was left of J.A.R.V.I.S. into a synthetic vibranium body, helping create the Vision we know today. Before playing Vision in his physical form, Bettany lent his voice to J.A.R.V.I.S.

In VisionQuest, James D'Arcy takes over the role of J.A.R.V.I.S. His human avatar is a butler-like figure, which is fitting, given that Tony named him after the Stark butler. On top of housekeeping, J.A.R.V.I.S. is a security AI who also takes care of encryption.

SEE ALSO: New York Comic Con 2026: Everything announced at Marvel TV's panel F.R.I.D.A.Y.

First introduced: Avengers: Age of Ultron

With J.A.R.V.I.S. uploaded into Vision, Tony needed a new AI assistant for his Iron Man armor. Enter F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant), who took over J.A.R.V.I.S.'s responsibilities from Avengers: Age of Ultron all the way up to Tony's death in Avengers: Endgame.

Originally voiced by Kerry Condon, F.R.I.D.A.Y. is played by Orla Brady in VisionQuest. The show presents her as a socialization AI, which basically means she's Vision's human interaction coach. She also aids him with humor and tactical ops.

E.D.I.T.H.

First introduced: Spider-Man: Far From Home

After his death, Tony left an augmented reality security and defense system named E.D.I.T.H. (Even Dead, I'm The Hero) to Peter Parker (Tom Holland). E.D.I.T.H. (voiced by Dawn Michelle King) lived in a pair of sunglasses that Peter used, then mistakenly gifted to Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), aka Mysterio. Following Far From Home, E.D.I.T.H. has been offline.

VisionQuest's E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire) presents as a major daredevil. As a recreational AI, she tries to understand all the extreme ways humans have fun, leading to some pretty wild stunts. According to the show's bullet-point list of her roles, she also specializes in game theory and weapons.

Ultron

First introduced: Avengers: Age of Ultron

The biggest, baddest AI in the MCU is none other than Ultron. Tony and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) originally cooked him up as a peacekeeping program, which they then combined with the Mind Stone from Loki's scepter. Following his birth, Ultron decided that the greatest threat to the world was humanity, and set in motion a plan to extinguish all of mankind.

Years after the Avengers defeated him in Age of Ultron, Ultron returns as a prisoner inside Vision's mind, albeit now in human form. Unlike the other AI characters, he doesn't appear to have a specialized role. As the show describes him, he's simply an "asshole."

VisionQuest is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes Wednesdays.

It is easy to look at a small plastic drive on a desk and assume someone sat down, drew a blueprint, and built it out of thin air. Plenty of devices were genius inventions that one person could lay claim to, sometimes building off the foundation of others. However, hardware history rarely works like that, and combining parts from separate inventions usually turns into a brawl over who crossed the finish line first. The USB flash drive is no different.

SSDs are more than just flash memory chips soldered to a PCB. They’re still relatively simple designs, but they can’t function without a small chip next to the flash that manages how and where data is written, moved, and erased, along with a plethora of other responsibilities.

Generative AI is enabling a tidal wave of nonconsensual intimate imagery and child sexual abuse material. Social media algorithms are exacerbating online harassment and the doxxing of rape survivors. Now, humanoid robots are making the offline world more unsafe for girls and women.

Two teen boys are under investigation by German authorities after allegations that they used a walking bot to grope and harass a 16-year-old girl while she was in public. Police in Cologne confiscated the robot today (Oct. 13) after receiving reports over the weekend. Emergency services were also dispatched to the scene, the Associated Press reported.

The authorities haven't yet charged the boys with a crime, but told the press that they are being treated as suspects.

SEE ALSO: Did Ukraine’s strikes on data centers really silence Russian bots?

The alleged perpetrators were two teens themselves, aged 16 and 19. Witnesses said they appeared to be controlling the 4-foot-tall robot, decorated in human clothing and jewelry, nearby. In video clips that purport to show the two teens, the robot is being steered through busy streets to intentionally bump into women as part of what appears to be a livestream. The robot's behavior is routinely played for laughs in the clips.

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Investigators are evaluating whether or not the robot was programmed to act in such a manner, or if the technology was maneuvered in real time. The answer to that question may determine what kind of legal repercussions the teens face in what is considered uncharted legal waters. Cologne authorities told the Associated Press they were not aware of humanoid robots ever being used for public harassment of this kind.

Popular live streamers have come under fire in recent years for profiting off of the public harassment of strangers, service workers, and women, in particular. Many have used novel technology, such as Meta's AI-powered Ray-Ban glasses, to secretly record interactions for views. It's only recently that platforms have begun to crack down on the viral trend.

My kids bought mood rings in the summer that change color, supposedly to reflect your current mood. This gave me an idea for building a mood ring of my own for my office that would give me useful information at a glance.

Amazon and Google have largely had the smart home world to themselves, at least for those who aren't interested in a solution like Home Assistant. They've not only built a load of hardware, but they also created whole ecosystems with tens of thousands of supported devices between them. They're not without their flaws, but they generally offer a turnkey smart home experience.

Everyone has found themselves scrolling through all their streaming services for ages, struggling to find something interesting to watch. Sometimes, though, it isn't the streaming service that is the problem. Sometimes we avoid watching good content simply because we aren't willing to take a chance on something new. There are tons to watch if you're willing to stick your toe outside your comfort zone.

SAVE $1,302: As of Oct. 13, the 65-inch TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED 4K TV is down to $1,197.99 at Amazon. That’s a 52% discount off the $2,499.99 list price on Mashable’s "best QLED TV for most people."

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch Class QM8L Series TV $1,197.99 at Amazon
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Shopping for a new TV often feels like a dizzying exercise in decoding endless display acronyms. But if you want staggering peak brightness and deep contrast without taking on a multi-thousand-dollar OLED price tag, TCL’s flagship 2026 set is currently discounted. The 65-inch TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV is down to $1,197.99 on Amazon, saving you a massive $1,302 off its original list price of $2,499.99.

In Mashable’s guide to the best 65-inch TVs, shopping reporter Leah Stodart dubbed the TCL QM8L the "best QLED TV for most people." Unlike base-level sets that struggle in low-light environments, the QM8L introduces TCL’s revamped Super Quantum Dot (SQD) backlight system. By using microscopic 5-nanometer particles instead of standard 60-nanometer dots, the display delivers pinpoint color accuracy, dynamic contrast, and anti-blooming technology that actually keeps halo effects at bay during dark movie scenes.

Clocking in at up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness alongside over 4,000 discrete local dimming zones, this TV is tailor-made for high-glare living rooms. Stodart noted that its sublime peak brightness makes it "one of the brightest TVs you can buy," easily handling midday glare and sunlit sports matches while offering contrast that rivals far more expensive non-OLED displays.

The 2026 QM8L is built for high-end entertainment and gaming. It packs a 144Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and TCL's Game Accelerator suite for smooth console action, while Google TV with Google Gemini AI handles smart navigation.

Grab the 65-inch TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV at Amazon before the 52% discount vanishes.

AI-generated images can now give celebrities entire social media moments they never took part in. For Mia Goth, that meant a supposed response to her divorce — right down to a T-shirt and breakup soundtrack.

After news of the Pearl and MaXXXine actress's divorce filing from Shia LaBeouf a few weeks ago, an Instagram post appeared to show Goth wearing a shirt that read "MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN." Paired with Beyoncé’s "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," it was easy to read as a comment on the split.

Except Goth’s representative says the image was AI-generated. And Goth doesn’t even use social media.

The post came from @miagoth_, a verified fan account with more than a million followers. Despite the fan-page label, People initially wrote about the image as a selfie Goth had posted herself, describing the shirt as her fashion choice days after filing for divorce. (The article and post have both been removed.)

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift's wedding photos are going viral. There's just one problem.

That confusion is exactly what the actress's team says it has been trying to stop.

"Mia Goth does not have ownership of, nor does she engage in social media on any platform," her representative, Christine Tripicchio, told The Verge. "We have filed multiple complaints with Instagram to remove the verified fan account which continues to post counterfeit, AI images of Mia Goth."

Tripicchio also questioned how the account had qualified for a verification badge in the first place.

"The fact that this fan account meets Instagram’s criteria to qualify for a 'blue check' is disconcerting on a fundamental level," she said. "Beyond that, it is incomprehensible that Instagram evidently prioritizes the dissemination of forged and manipulated images over the protection and integrity of a public figure’s likeness."

In response, Meta told Mashable, "This account has been removed for impersonating a public figure."

"We must call out the misuse of AI"

Goth’s team isn’t alone in trying to correct a public moment that never happened.

A March investigation by Indicator identified six AI-generated influencer accounts with roughly a million Instagram followers combined that posted fabricated celebrity encounters. One, @ayannasoblack, shared fake gym photos with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and John Cena. All but one of the accounts linked to Fanvue profiles selling access to synthetic adult content.

Real performers' work also supplies material for these accounts. As Mashable reported, AI personas have recently reproduced comedians' jokes and performances to build audiences. Comedian Sarah Purdum told Mashable that women’s material was being "stolen and repurposed for sexy AI models."

SEE ALSO: Fake influencers, real money: Inside the AI creator business

For celebrities, the consequences extend beyond invented encounters. In January 2024, nonconsensual, sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift spread online, prompting SAG-AFTRA to condemn them as "upsetting, harmful, and deeply concerning." Later that year, Swift cited a separate fabrication — images falsely suggesting she supported Donald Trump — when announcing her endorsement of Kamala Harris.

"It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she wrote.

Scarlett Johansson raised a similar objection in 2025 after an AI-generated video depicted her and other Jewish celebrities protesting Ye’s antisemitism. Although she condemned antisemitism, she objected to being included in a video she never participated in. "We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality," she said in a statement.

Even deceased performers' families are being left to push back: In October 2025, filmmaker Zelda Williams asked people to stop sending her AI-generated videos of her father, Robin Williams, saying the recreations were "NOT what he’d want."

What is Instagram's current AI policy?

An image being AI-generated doesn’t automatically mean Meta will take it down.

In its explanation of its policy, Meta says it generally keeps manipulated content available unless it breaks another platform rule, such as those against bullying or harassment. Instead, it uses "AI info" labels to provide context when it detects certain technical signals or someone discloses AI use.

SEE ALSO: Meta leans into AI in your feeds

Even those labels have needed adjusting, though. In 2024, Meta changed "Made with AI" to "AI info" after acknowledging that some photos with minor AI retouching were getting flagged. It later moved labels for content detected as AI-edited into the post’s menu, while keeping visible labels on content detected as AI-generated.

But that approach depends on detecting AI use in the first place. Meta has acknowledged that its systems can’t identify every AI-generated image and that the invisible markers it uses for detection can be removed. A missing AI label doesn't necessarily mean a photo is real (clearly).

Back when I had a cheap Wi-Fi router, I bought a Wi-Fi extender to compensate for the router's short range. But there was a problem. Its SSID and password were different from my normal router, so I had to connect manually each time I used the extender. The better solution for this was a mesh Wi-Fi system at a higher cost. At that time, I didn't even know that a mesh network was different from Wi-Fi extenders.