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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.

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

To chew.

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

CHOMP

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To break

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 21, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SPLIT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

No animal products.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 21 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 21, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

VEGAN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Striped cat.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 21 Hurdle Word 4 answer

TIGER

Final Hurdle hint

To get rid of.

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

PURGE

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

TL;DR: Live stream Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The festive NBA action continues with Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls. Both sides are hovering around the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, with eyes on avoiding the play-in. They'll need to string together a good patch of form to make the playoffs, and that starts with this busy period of games.

If you want to watch Hawks vs. Bulls in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Hawks vs. Bulls?

Hawks vs. Bulls in the NBA starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 21. This game takes place at the State Farm Arena.

How to watch Hawks vs. Bulls for free

Hawks vs. Bulls in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

The Moon is finally starting to come back into view, which means we're in a new lunar cycle. It will now be getting bigger and brighter each night as we work towards the next Full Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 21, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent (if you're in the U.S). According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 2% of the moon will be lit up tonight. With so little of the Moon illuminated, there’s still nothing to see on its surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar 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 to solve if you love a cuppa.

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 December 21, 2025 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: A kettle

• Green: Book haven

• Blue: To come up

• Purple: To fall

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Features of a teapot

• Green: Library sections

• Blue: Arise

• Purple: ___ Drop

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 #924 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Features of a teapot: HANDLE, LID, SPOUT. STRAINER

• Library sections: CIRCULATION, PERIODICALS, REFERENCE, STACKS

• Arise: EMERGE, FLOW, ISSUE, RESULT

• ___ Drop: AIR, EAVES, GUM, RAIN

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 December 21, 2025

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 today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like it just right.

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 December 21, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 21, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Big bad wolf

The words are related to books.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a popular children's story.

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 Three Little Pigs.

NYT Strands word list for December 21

• Huff

• Three Little Pigs

• Puff

• Sticks

• Blow

• Down

• Bricks

• Straw

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 today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to knit.

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 December 21, 2025 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 December 21, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A thick blanket.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Q.

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...

QUILT

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 21, 2025

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 today's Wordle.

TL;DR: Secure 20TB of storage with this Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription on sale now for just $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21.

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Do you rent your cloud storage? Not only is that a hefty expense every month, but it just keeps rising as you need more space. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to store your important files safely, it’s time to check out Internxt Cloud Storage.

Right now, you can pay once and lock in 20TB of cloud storage for only $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21.

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Cloud storage offers a lot of convenience, but it can be costly month after month. You also have to continuously upgrade your plan to meet your storage needs. That’s where Internxt Cloud Storage really shines, letting you pay once and own 20TB of space for life.

12TB of storage from Apple sets you back $60 a month, or $720 a year. You’ll nearly double that amount of storage for almost half the price with Internxt, and you only have to pay once for life. This deal for 20TB of storage lets you store 6.5 million photos, 5 million documents, or thousands of hours of HD video.

Aside from letting you own enough storage to grow with for life, Internxt Cloud Storage also offers next-level security with end-to-end encryption. Your data is safe, and not even Internxt itself can access it. They are also GDPR-compliant, adhering to strict European laws regarding user privacy and data security.

Get cloud storage for life with this Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription, now only $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The data center market is booming with little indication it'll be slowing down anytime soon — despite efforts to halt the processing sprawl.

According to a new report by S&P Global, the global data center market ballooned to $61 billion in 2025, a half billion dollar increase from last year and another record high for the industry. The money is trying to keep pace with expanding infrastructure projects needed to funnel more data processing power to generative AI and its makers.

SEE ALSO: NVIDIA earnings report: Why the AI bubble will bounce into 2026

Despite concerns that interest in AI will wane and render projects moot, S&P experts told CNBC that they predict demand for AI applications will stay strong in 2026, and skepticism of major AI players is unlikely to change the market trends. Still, the numbers may not be as positive as they appear. S&P Global found that a majority of the financing surge came from private equity financing, a precarious debt model that's needed to feed the massive, energy-intensive industry, CNBC reported.

According to an October S&P Global report, data centers were expected to increase their power grid use by another 22 percent by the end of 2025, and predict that number will triple by 2030. Other experts have spotted similar trends.

In response to these trends, communities around the country have been pushing back against data center deals. Earlier this month, a coalition of 350 nonprofit environmental organizations signed a letter outlining major concerns about the environmental impact of large data centers, urging all 50 states to halt the expansion of data center projects. Over the last year, data center deals have faced legal and social blowback from community groups and local advocacy organizations, including cases in Virginia and Wisconsin. Advocates have even created litigation tool kits to support the fight against AI data center expansion.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pledged to accelerate federal data center permitting and bypass established environmental laws in order to meet goals outlined in its new AI action plan.

A debris field comprised of a Starlink satellite's remains is floating through space, after a minor explosion broke off pieces of the tech and sent them tumbling around Earth's orbit.

Space X reported the anomaly earlier this week, which the company said resulted in trackable debris that included the satellite's propulsion tank and the largely intact satellite body, which is still in orbit. SpaceX says the satellite, which the company says isn't close enough to the International Space Station (ISS) to pose a risk to astronauts, will reenter the atmosphere and reach its "demise" in the next week.

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"As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety. We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event," wrote SpaceX.

Earth's orbit is filled with such debris, prompting concern among experts who warn that accumulating space junk will impede our space efforts, lead to greater and more dangerous collisions, and, more importantly, pose increased risk to humans on the ground. Last week, a SpaceX satellite and a satellite from Chinese company CAS Space nearly crashed into each other.

The anomaly comes one week after the aerospace and telecommunications companies launched 27 new Starlink satellites into the Earth's orbit, marking the 580th flight of the company's Falcon 9 rocket since its first successful deployment in 2015 — it was the 162nd flight in 2025 alone, Space reported. Out of more than 10,000 Starlink satellites sent into space, around 9,300 are still active.

The Elon Musk-owned company is continuing a major push to become the leading supplier of rural broadband internet and emergency satellite communications services, including ongoing deals with the U.S. government. SpaceX has struck out against federal funding allocations for fiber internet access projects and courted favor with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an effort to gain priority for satellite internet over other broadband efforts.

ChatGPT can act even friendlier now, with new personality customization options that let users choose just how warm and enthusiastic the bot is in conversation.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT is changing the abortion landscape

OpenAI announced the new personality settings in a Friday post on X. The update rolled out immediately to ChatGPT users alongside a long-awaited pinned chats feature, new ways to generate or edit emails, and updates to ChatGPT browser Atlas.

The new tools add more fine tuning of ChatGPT's personality using levels of warmth and enthusiasm (labelled as "more," "less," or "default"). Users can also adjust the way the bot organizes its responses, such as how frequently it generates lists, as well as the amount of emojis it employs, in addition to its base style and tone. There's still no option to exclude emojis entirely.

Professionals have warned that overly anthropomorphic and sycophantic chatbots can exacerbate mental health concerns, including AI psychosis and dependency. A previous ChatGPT model, the still-available GPT-4o, was adjusted earlier this year after facing criticism for "overly agreeable" behavior. CEO Sam Altman has referred to the issue as a "personality problem."

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OpenAI launched its new GPT-5.2 model series one week ago, boasting new capabilities for "professional knowledge work" that include better processing benchmarks and less hallucinations, the company reports.

ChatGPT's developers also recommitted itself to its mental health and teen safety promises amid escalating lawsuits. In a blog post published Thursday, OpenAI explained it was introducing a new set of under-18 user principles to GPT-5.2 intended to create additional guardrails around sensitive topics and encourage age-appropriate interactions. It's also working on a new age verification system for young users. GPT-5.2 reportedly scores higher on internal mental health safety tests, including stress testing for self harm, than previous models.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Dec. 16-20. Winter Wonderland, hosted by Indie Author Central, is offering free wintery reads for Kindle e-readers.

Stuff Your Kindle Day is back again, and this time it's festive.

Winter Wonderland, hosted by Indie Author Central, is offering wintery books for free or just $0.99. And the books that you download are yours to keep forever. Does your library desperately need a boost? It doesn't matter. These books are free to download, so you might as well stock up.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best Kindles to help you find the perfect e-reader

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Winter Wonderland takes place from Dec. 16-20. Unlike a lot of Stuff Your Kindle Days that take place over 24 hours, this event runs for five days. That gives you time to properly assess your options, make a list of top priorities, and then download everything you want to read. Take your time and enjoy the process.

Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?

There are many great things about Stuff Your Kindle Day, including the fact that everyone can participate. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone.

Which e-books are free?

Finding all of these free wintery books is straightforward thanks to the helpful hub page on Indie Author Central. Everything is neatly organized with filters for genre, content level, spice level, and availability. You can head directly to what you want to read thanks to the nice people at Indie Author Central.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time, so don't hold back.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) $89.99 at Amazon
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These popular e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. The price is down to $89.99 for a limited time, saving you $30.