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Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you've seen Mean Girls.

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 17, 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 October 17, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Unpleasant.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GROSS

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 October 17, 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.

SAVE OVER $2: As of Oct. 17, the Pokémon TCG White Flare Binder Collection is $49.98 at TCGPlayer, compared to $52.78 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company White Flare Binder Collection $49.98 at TCGPlayer
$52.18 Save $2.20   Get Deal

The White Flare Binder Collection is perfect for kicking off your Unovan Illustration Rare and Secret Art Rare collection, which is a long road by the way. Each Pokémon found in Pokémon Black and White 1 and 2 has either one or the other, so everyone is getting the full art treatment. Imagine how amazing your binder will look with a collection like that?

Whilst Black Bolt and White Flare is a stunning end to the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon TCG era, everyone has their eyes on Mega Evolution / Phantasmal Flames. I'm focusing on Black Bolt and White Flare right now, which has some of the highest value cards in the Scarlet and Violet era which you can pull or buy separately right now (see below).

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

The White Flare Binder Collection is a Reshiram-themed soft binder with six pockets on each page with five booster packs. At this price it's worth it if you're after a unique-looking binder, and even if you're not, it's still not a bad price when thinking about the single booster pack prices at the moment.

Most valuable Black Bolt and White Flare Pokémon cards Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

If you're just interested in pulling the big guys in this set, it's going to cost you hundreds of dollars if you're lucky. Don't get me wrong, some people have ridiculous mythical powers and could pull a Black-White Rare on their first pack, but don't bank on that happening. Buying singles is a good way to hedge your bets against ripping boosters.

Here's the top chase cards in Black Bolt and White Flare alongside their market value, current pricing, and last sold price to give you a bigger picture:

1. Victini – 171/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $431.98
   Market price: $446.04
   Most recent sale: $549.99

2. Victini – 172/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $390
   Market price: $432.16
   Most recent sale: $400

3. Zekrom ex – 172/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $378.27
   Market price: $398.49
   Most recent sale: $377

4. Reshiram ex – 173/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $367.95
   Market price: $369.17
   Most recent sale: $353.21

5. Zekrom ex – 166/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $210.99
   Market price: $208.89
   Most recent sale: $200

6. Reshiram ex – 166/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $180
   Market price: $178.19
   Most recent sale: $175

The iPhone’s Action Button is now a staple feature of Apple’s smartphone lineup. In its default state, it does exactly what the ringer switch it replaced does: toggle silent mode on and off.

SAVE OVER $5: As of Oct. 17, the Pokémon TCG Black Bolt Binder Collection is $50.89 at TCGPlayer, compared to $55.94 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Black Bolt Binder Collection $50.89 at TCGPlayer
$55.94 Save $5.05   Get Deal

Every Unovan Pokémon from the fifth generation of Pokémon games (Black and White 1 and 2) either has an Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare, or a ridiculously rare Black White Rare. My 10-year old Pokémon League-rocking self wouldn't believe what I was seeing with so much stunning artwork in one set.

Black Bolt and White Flare is a stunning end to the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon TCG era. Everyone has their eyes on Mega Evolution / Phantasmal Flames, but I'm focusing on Black Bolt and White Flare right now, which has some of the highest value cards in the Scarlet and Violet era (more on that below).

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

In this Black Bolt Binder Collection trainer will find a Zekrom-themed soft binder with six pockets on each page with five booster packs. It's a cheap and cheerful way to start collecting the set in style.

Most valuable Black Bolt and White Flare Pokémon cards Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

If you're looking to collect the higher-end cards of this set, all the luck in the world to you. The problem is the top chase cards are rarer than usual due to how many Illustration Rare cards are in Black Bolt and White Flare, so it might work out cheaper to just buy the single Pokémon cards you'd like. Here's the top chase cards in Black Bolt and White Flare to get you started:

1. Victini – 171/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $431.98
   Market price: $446.04
   Most recent sale: $549.99

2. Victini – 172/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $390
   Market price: $432.16
   Most recent sale: $400

3. Zekrom ex – 172/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $378.27
   Market price: $398.49
   Most recent sale: $377

4. Reshiram ex – 173/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $367.95
   Market price: $369.17
   Most recent sale: $353.21

5. Zekrom ex – 166/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $210.99
   Market price: $208.89
   Most recent sale: $200

6. Reshiram ex – 166/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $180
   Market price: $178.19
   Most recent sale: $175

SAVE $30: As of Oct. 17, the Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven set is on sale for $69.99 at Amazon. This is 30% off its list price of $99.99 and marks its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven Building Toys $69.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $30   Get Deal

Even with Black Friday a month out, Amazon has been dropping some exciting Lego deals for shoppers to pick up. Now is a great time to stock up on sets, what with the weather getting a little bit colder and everyone spending some more time inside. If you're on the hunt for a good deal, and looking to find something a little spooky for Halloween, the Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven set is down to its best price at Amazon.

As of Oct. 17, the Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven set has dropped to $69.99 at Amazon for a limited time. This is a 30% discount from its list price of $99.99. No better time to get your hands on it, if it's caught your attention.

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away free Witch models for Halloween — here’s how to get yours on Oct. 26

The Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven set is a build fit for those aged nine and up. It comes with 1,203 pieces that create a very cool looking raven, but that's not all. It can also be rebuilt as a raven-hut combination or even as a collection of three creatures: a walking house, a cauldron spider, or a giant raven. On top of the build, you'll also get minifigures of Mateo, Astrid, the Never Witch, Dizzy, and Dogan alongside a Z-Blob figure.

No better time than now to scoop up the Lego DREAMZzz The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven set for spooky season and save 30%.

Looking for even more seasonally appropriate Lego sets to build? Check out our roundup of the best Halloween-themed Lego sets to see even more options worth building this month.

Sabrina Carpenter is both the host and the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this week, but that doesn't mean she didn't have time to record a few silly promo skits too.

In the clip above, Carpenter teams up with Marcello Hernández to motivate viewers who may be watching them while washing the dishes, flirts with the camera operator, and finally reveals that she isn't nervous to return and host SNL, but there is one thing that terrifies her deeply — and it just so happens to be the same exact fear that Hernández has.

"My dentist grows a really long beard and it tickles my chest," say the pair in perfect unison. In fairness that does sound uncomfortable.

On The Late Show Thursday, Nick Offerman took Stephen Colbert through the real community events coming up in his hometown of Minooka, Illinois, and honestly, sign us up for everything.

"As we like to say in Minooka: 'When you're a Minookan, there's nothing you Minoo-can't do,'" says Offerman in The Late Show's regular and delightful "Community Calendar" segment above.

Running through actual events coming up in Minooka and the greater Grundy County regional area in October, including chair yoga at the Minooka Branch Library, the Viking Strength Challenge, Minooka’s annual Halloween parade, a haunted birdhouse-making day, and a Conspiracy Scavenger Hunt happening in Joliet — "or at least that's what they want you to believe," says Offerman.

If you want to experience events in the greater Grundy County regional area, your plans await in the video above. But as Offerman says, "If you are experiencing events in your Grundy area, consult a physician."

SAVE $7.95: As of Oct. 17, the Pokémon TCG Black Bolt Elite Trainer Box is $84.99 at TCGPlayer, compared to $92.94 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Black Bolt Elite Trainer Box $84.99 at TCGPlayer
$92.74 Save $7.75   Get Deal

Whilst everyone has their eyes on Mega Evolution / Phantasmal Flames and paying over the odds for new sealed product, I'm hunting down Black Bolt and White Flare deals on both sealed and single cards. Why? Because it's a fantastic set that brings a satisfying close to the Scarlet and Violet era of Pokémon TCG.

Every Unovan Pokémon from Black and White 1 and 2 either has an Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare, or an ever-illusive Black White Rare. This is such a lovely set to collect and build decks with, and it makes me wish there was more Illustration Rares in every set. Just imagine taking your 10 year old-self from the Wizards of the Coast days, battling in Pokémon Leagues in Warner Brothers stores and showed them any of the modern cards. They'd blow your fragile mind.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

Elite Trainer Boxes are awesome for their extras as well as booster packs. In this one, you'll get a Thundurus 209 Illustration Rare promo card, 65 Black Bolt-Themed sleeves, themed dice, eight booster packs, and the ETB box complete with dividers to keep on top of your collection.

Most valuable Black Bolt and White Flare Pokémon cards Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

This is still an expensive set, so the chances of actually pulling a hefty chase card is very low when you think about all of the Illustration Rare cards. It's often cheaper to grab the chase card you want as a single card rather than spending endless amounts on sealed product hoping for the best. Here's the top chase cards in Black Bolt and White Flare you can buy right now:

1. Victini – 171/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $431.98
   Market price: $446.04
   Most recent sale: $549.99

2. Victini – 172/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $390
   Market price: $432.16
   Most recent sale: $400

3. Zekrom ex – 172/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $378.27
   Market price: $398.49
   Most recent sale: $377

4. Reshiram ex – 173/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $367.95
   Market price: $369.17
   Most recent sale: $353.21

5. Zekrom ex – 166/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $210.99
   Market price: $208.89
   Most recent sale: $200

6. Reshiram ex – 166/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $180
   Market price: $178.19
   Most recent sale: $175

SAVE OVER $300: As of Oct. 17, the iRobot Roomba Plus 504 robot vacuum is on sale for $398.99 at Amazon (its lowest-ever price). This is $351 off its list price of $749.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Plus 504 Vac Robot Vacuum $398.99 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $351   Get Deal

A little extra cleaning help around the house is always appreciated, especially during the fall and winter months. A robot vacuum is a great way to help keep your floors a bit tidier, and the good news is you don't have to wait for Black Friday to score a deal. Amazon already has some excellent discounts live, including on the iRobot Roomba Plus 504 robot vacuum.

The iRobot Roomba Plus 504 robot vacuum is currently sitting at $398.99 at Amazon, its lowest price yet. At the moment, Amazon has a typical list price of $574.95, though we previously saw its list price at $749.99. For this piece, we've chosen to go with the list price so there isn't any confusion.

SEE ALSO: What is the best robot vacuum? I test new ones every month and trust these the most.

If you're looking for a robot vacuum that can tackle any pet hair, dirt, or crumbs that have dropped onto your floor, the iRobot Roomba Plus 504 robot vacuum can get the job done with its powerful suction, anti-tangle dual rubber brushes, edge-sweeping brush, and carpet boost technology. On top of that, it'll avoid any obstacles in its way with the help of PrecisionVision AI technology, and it can even go up to 75 days without its docking station needing to be emptied.

Hurry to grab the iRobot Roomba Plus 504 robot vacuum at its lowest-ever price before the offer is gone for good.

Amazon has more robot vacuum deals worth checking out alongside this one. Another great deal to check out is on the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum, which has dropped to its lowest-ever price.

Google Meet has a new AI-powered makeup filter that lets you apply lipstick without opening a real tube.

Launched on Oct. 13, the tool is an expansion of the video call platform's "Touch Up" feature added in 2023. Similar to the AR beauty and makeup lenses on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, and the myriad virtual try-on platforms around, Google Meet's new feature allows users to add basic makeup filters that mimic foundation, blush, lipstick, mascara, and eyeshadow.

SEE ALSO: TikTok beauty filters can be super realistic—unless you're a person of color

In a blog post, Google demonstrated the tool in the GIFs below, and from testing it myself, I have to say the facial mapping is impressively sticky.

On desktop:

Credit: Google Meet

On mobile:

Credit: Google Meet

There are 12 studio makeup options to choose from, titled things like "rosy pink," "cat eye," "goth chic," and "dewy fresh." But how do you find the makeup tool? Here's a step-by-step guide.

How to use Google Meet's new AI makeup tool Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• Google Meet on desktop
• laptop
• or smartphone

Step 1: Open Google Meet calendar event.

Don't join yet. Instead, click the icon showing a person in a frame with a small star in the right corner.

Credit: Google Meet

Step 2: Click "Appearance."

It's sitting beside "Background" and "Filters."

Credit: Google Meet

Step 3: Scroll down to the "Makeup" section and click on each face icon to try on each style.

Here, you can pick from 12 options, which vary from heavy to light.

Credit: Google Meet

Step 4: Click your choice of makeup, and make sure your camera is on to see it applied.

Tap the camera icon on the screen beside the microphone/mute button to turn it on and off.

Step 5: If you want to remove the makeup filter, simply tap the highlighted option again.

Step 6: Press the X in the top right corner of the window to return to the Google Meet lobby and click "Join now."

Step 7: If you want to turn the makeup tool on or off during the meeting, tap the three dots beside the red phone button.

Credit: Google Meet

Step 8: Then, click "Backgrounds and effects" and repeat the above process.

Credit: Google Meet

For more hacks on how to tinker with your Google Meet settings, Mashable's got you covered.

Featured Video For You Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold Is Here

SAVE $300: As of Oct. 17, the Samsung 75-Inch Class QLED Q8F is on sale for $997.99 at Amazon. That's a 23% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 75-Inch Class QLED Q8F $997.99 at Amazon
$1,297.99 Save $300   Get Deal

If you're in the market for a new TV this fall, look no further than Amazon's Daily Deals.

October's Prime Day may be over and Black Friday still weeks away, but there's discounts to be found in this no-mans land. Like this latest discount on the Samsung 75-Inch Class QLED Q8F TV. As of Oct. 17, this TV is reduced to $997.99, saving you $300. If 75-inch sounds a little too big (or small) for your space, all other size options are reduced too. However, its worth noting that this model is at its lowest-ever price.

SEE ALSO: The Hisense U8 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV has dropped to an all-time low price at Amazon

You're saving a lot, but this TV has still got a hefty price tag, and definitely won't be an impulse buy. But if you're already looking for an impressive, high quality TV, this one won't disappoint. It benefits from 4K resolution and it even uses AI to optimize colors and audio based on the type of content you're watching.

It also uses nano-sized Quantum Dots to make sure all the colors show accurately. And it sits neatly in your space, whether it's on the wall or a TV stand, the slim design is aesthetic and tidy. For streaming and watching you'll get access to over 2,700 free channels, including more than 400 Samsung TV Plus premium channels, as well as your usual streaming apps. For gaming and sports, it supports VRR at up to 4K 144Hz for smooth motion.

Head to Amazon to pick up this TV for its best-ever price.

It had to happen eventually, and happen it has — Jeremy Allen White has taken on First We Feast's Hot Ones.

In the clip above The Bear star devours increasingly spicy wings while speaking about everything from the hardest scenes he's had to shoot to the reason he's always buying flowers.

The highlight? A story he tells about attending a fancy restaurant at the age of 23 and getting told off by the staff.

When he's not been busy ranting on Truth Social about things like his Time magazine cover photo, Donald Trump is busy flogging watches to his supporters.

In the clip above Jimmy Kimmel plays footage of one of the president's ads, in which Trump encourages people to buy one of his watches because "Christmas is coming."

"I'd like you to just close your eyes right now and try to imagine Lincoln in front of a flag, selling top hats," says Kimmel. "And at least he wore top hats, Trump doesn't even wear a watch. I mean seriously."

The late night show host goes on to pull up a review from a customer alleging they'd ordered a watch that still hadn't arrived five months later, adding that it was a shame the company wasn't "holding to President Trumps [sic] high standards."

"I have bad news for you honey, they're holding exactly to Trump's high standards," Kimmel says. "Mr made-in-America and his partners claim the watches feature premium, Swiss-made materials, but most of the experts seem to agree they are likely made in China. I hope he gets hit by his own tariffs."

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 17, the Asus ROG Strix G16 is on sale for $1,699 at Amazon. That's an 11% saving on the list price and its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus ROG Strix G16 $1,699 at Amazon
$1,899.99 Save $200.99   Get Deal

October Prime Day treated us to a whole host of discounts on top products. MacBooks, earbuds, and so much more were heavily discounted, some to record lows. And while most of these prices have returned to normal, some are still hanging around, like this great deal on the Asus ROG Strix G16. As of Oct. 17, this laptop is down to $1,699. This is its lowest-ever price according to camelcamelcamel. This price is for the Ultra 9, 16GB, RTX5060 model.

This impressive model runs on Windows 11 Home and has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, so games, apps, and streaming all run smoothly. You'll get 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, giving you plenty of speed and storage.

SEE ALSO: Save over $100 on this 45-inch LG Ultragear curved gaming monitor

The display is as sharp as you'd expect from a gaming laptop, with its 240Hz, ROG Nebula display. It boasts an enhanced contrast, reduced glare, and Dolby Vision HDR. And don't worry about things overheating, the vapor chamber cooling system with tri-fan tech and liquid metal keeps things cool even during heavy gaming sessions.

The customizable RGB Aura Light Bar is worth shouting out too, giving the whole thing a premium look. This deal has a limited-time stamp, so don't miss out. Get it from Amazon now.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires expertise in women's tennis.

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. 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: 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: Quit

• Green: Scoring moves

• Blue: Headwear components

• Purple: Same second word

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Give up

• Green: Shots in basketball

• Blue: Parts of a hat

• Purple: ____ hill

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 #389 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Give up - ALLOW, CONCEDE, SURRENDER, YIELD

• Shots in basketball - DUNK, FINGER ROLL, HOOK, JUMPER

• Parts of a hat - BILL, BUTTON, CLOSURE, EYELET

• ____ hill - CHAPEL, CHESTNUT, GRANT, RICH

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 today's Connections.

Strange, narrow channels threading through some of Mars' sand dunes have intrigued scientists for years. 

These Martian features don't look like anything on Earth. Early theories proposed that flowing water created these gullies, perhaps when the Red Planet had a warmer, wetter climate billions of years ago. That idea thrilled scientists because it meant Mars might once have supported life. 

But newer space images have revealed that these gullies aren't relics of the past but forming and changing with the seasons now, making them all the more perplexing. Though Lonneke Roelofs is an Earth scientist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, she was determined to solve the extraterrestrial mystery. She describes herself as "broadly interested," and that curiosity has led her to study surface processes far beyond our own planet. 

"Mars is currently the only planet on which we have observed these types of gullies," she told Mashable, "so they are a pretty special and exciting landform."

Rather than rely on computer simulations as other planetary studies so often do, Roelofs and a graduate student went to a lab at The Open University in the United Kingdom and recreated Mars-like conditions, complete with very low air pressure and fine sand. In the end, their experiments were able to reproduce the gullies — in a surprising way. 

SEE ALSO: A giant black hole is lost in space. Here's how it's shocking astronomers.

These Martian ditches, called linear dune gullies, often run parallel and end with small pits. They range from about three to 30 feet wide and 65 to hundreds of feet long, Roelofs said, depending on the size of the dune.

Despite the name, many of the ditches squiggle instead of forming straight lines. With the help of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, scientists have observed these surface features changing during the Martian spring. 

A closer view of the linear dune gullies at Hellas Planitia, taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and shown at the top of this story, reveals how these channels twist and curve through the sand. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UArizona

"How quickly they are eroded is dependent on how quickly the dunes move," Roelofs said. "Over the time span of 10 years, we have seen gullies fade. But some exist for longer."

Since the Red Planet has no running water on its surface today, scientists have considered other possible explanations. One idea has pointed to chunks of frozen carbon dioxide, aka dry ice. 

During the Martian winter, frost and dry ice accumulate on top of desert dunes in the southern hemisphere, sometimes forming a layer over two-feet thick. But when spring sunlight returns, the ice begins to warm and break. Pieces then slide down the slopes. 

In short, some scientists have wondered if the gullies are caused by avalanches. But it was unclear how an avalanche of dry ice under the thin Martian air would differ from how it works with snow on Earth. 

In the lab's Mars chamber, the team released blocks of dry ice onto slopes of different angles and watched how they moved. The experiment yielded two distinct behaviors. Their findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

On steep slopes, the dry ice just slid, creating thin, shallow etches. But on gradual slopes, the blocks did something wild: The bottom of the ice touching the dune converted directly into gas, skipping the liquid phase, and blasted surrounding sand away, due to its high pressure. The ice burrowed downward like a mole, digging deeper and more twisted trenches. 

Suddenly, a simple chunk of ice seemed to move more like an animal. That process caused ridges, called levees, to pile up on either side. Video recordings of the experiments, shared above, demonstrate how it works. Roelofs likens the strange behavior to sandworms in Dune.

The tests also revealed that the ditches only develop on dunes with very fine, evenly sized sand grains. Coarser or more jagged material prevents the burrowing motion, which could explain why the gullies only appear in certain Martian regions, according to the paper.

Many planetary scientists have assumed that undulating channels always indicate a past presence of liquid water, streams rushing over and carving out the surface. But, when it comes to Mars at least, that's not necessarily true.

TL;DR: Bring home a MacBook Air for only $179.97 (reg. $999) through Nov. 2.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3-Inch 2017 (Refurbished) $179.97
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A MacBook Air for under $200? It may sound like a pricing error, but it’s a reality when it comes to this 13.3-inch model. This MacBook Air proves top-quality tech doesn’t always have to come with top-tier pricing, because you can currently snag this laptop for just $179.97 (reg. $999) through Nov. 2, while supplies last.

Whether you’re in the market for a new laptop or you just can’t pass up this kind of deal, this MacBook Air can be your new on-the-go device. Weighing in at just under three pounds, it’s easy to bring along anywhere — but don’t assume its lightweight status means it skimps on power.

SEE ALSO: Everything Apple announced today: Meet the new M5 MacBook, iPad

This MacBook Air packs an impressive 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor so you’ll enjoy power and performance in this portable device. The 13.3-inch widescreen display offers a 1440 x 900 resolution and Intel HD Graphics 6000, providing vibrant visuals, and you can tackle both work and play thanks to an impressive 12 hours of battery life.

If you like to keep your important files easy to access, you’ll appreciate the 128GB of built-in storage. It also features Bluetooth and WiFi to make connectivity easy.

If you’re wondering how you’re getting this MacBook Air for over $800 off, it’s thanks to the grade A/B refurbished rating. This means it will arrive on your doorstep with light to normal wear and tear, while you enjoy the deep discount.

Act fast to secure your MacBook Air for only $179.97 (reg. $999) through Nov. 2.

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TL;DR: Create whatever images you can dream up with this lifetime subscription to Imagiyo AI Image Generator, on sale now for just $39.97 (reg. $495).

Opens in a new window Credit: Imagiyo Imagiyo AI Image Generator: Lifetime Subscription (Standard Plan) $39.97
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SEE ALSO: How to filter out AI on Pinterest

Thanks to the power of artificial intelligence, you can turn words into stunning art with Imagiyo AI Image Generator. There’s no art or tech knowledge required — just put in your prompt and watch it come to life.

Imagiyo lets you create images for commercial use or personal, so you can design social media content, brand logos, or make special gifts for loved ones. The images will be high-quality and ready to print, so they make great gifts. And multiple image generation sizes are available as Modelslab LLMs.

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Generate images forever with this lifetime subscription to Imagiyo AI Image Generator, on sale now for just $39.97 (reg. $495).

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If you took a shot for every corporate euphemism in No Other Choice, you'd be circling back, going in a different direction, finding your services no longer required, rightsized, downsized, and as plastered as one of the characters.

The very title itself evades responsibility, a phrase used by big companies to hide behind intentional, cold decision-making. In this superb dark comedy-thriller, legendary South Korean director Park Chan-wook delivers a biting social commentary on the brutal job market and its associated hyper-competitiveness that sees candidates out for blood, literally.

SEE ALSO: 'No Other Choice' trailer: Park Chan-wook's latest is a black comedy about capitalism and murder

Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film presents an anti-capitalist fable about workplace politics, where merciless company restructuring drives a desperate family man (Squid Game's Lee Byung-hun) to violence — despite his lack of skills in that department. While not as ultraviolent as Park's lauded Vengeance Trilogy or as seductive as his recent Hitchockian film Decision to Leave, the director hypothesises the fallout of corporate redundancies through this bumbling self-made assassin — one whose inept, maddening decisions will make you consider the morality of it all.

Under pressure to provide, is murdering his way into a job the only option in this economy? 

No Other Choice sees a family man scorned in a hyper-competitive, capitalist reality. Son Ye-jin and Lee Byung-hun in "No Other Choice." Credit: BFI London Film Festival

In an unhinged, uncomfortably empathetic performance by Lee, the nucleus of the film is Yoo Man-soo, a hardworking, proud, and long-serving employee at specialist paper company Solar Paper. He's saved enough to buy his father's stunning house and provide his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin) and two kids a comfortable, upper-middle-class life, full of cello lessons, outdoor barbecues, and designer goods. It's all captured in a saturated golden light and dynamic cinematography from Kim Woo-hyung — with whom Park worked on The Little Drummer Girl series. But when Man-soo is suddenly fired after decades of company loyalty, bills stack up and pragmatic Mi-ri declares their need to adjust — and it's not just creature comforts that are sent packing but actual creatures too, including their pair of adorable, obedient golden retrievers.

No corporate mindfulness workshop could assuage Man-soo's fears of eternal unemployment and the societal shame of it all. Meanwhile, Mi-ri gets her own job at a dentist's office, where the handsomeness of her new boss fuels Man-soo's jealousy and determination to reclaim his breadwinning pride.

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Suddenly, the perfect opportunity (or any opportunity at all) appears on the horizon at the rival Moon Paper, with Man-soo facing an intimidating ocean of potential candidates and AI-powered replacements. Not seeing a snowball's chance in hell of getting the position, he writes a shortlist of candidates (Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min) that could beat him to the job, intending to eliminate them — for good. That means luring them into applying for jobs at his fake company and killing his way back into employability, one by one.

Park Chan-wook subverts his signature vengeance mode to scrutinise morality and responsibility. Lee Byung-hun and Lee Sung-min in "No Other Choice." Credit: BFI London Film Festival

The quest for vengeance and self-satisfaction runs rivers of blood throughout Park's work, with revenge fueling his lauded 2000s triptych Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. But where the protagonists of the Vengeance Trilogy had a particular set of skills and life-defining scores to settle, Man-soo of No Other Choice embodies both amateur killer-to-be and believer of himself as a Good Person. 

As the title suggests, Park's film is a hard lesson in individualist finger-pointing and evasive corporate euphemisms that sees its protagonist deflect any form of responsibility for his actions. Man-soo believes he has, after all, exhausted all options. Here, as in Park's line of retaliatory narratives, No Other Choice explores moral and ethical boundaries; Man-soo believes his behaviour is justified for the benefit of his family and his own sense of pride as provider.

With a spectacularly physical performance of pure desperation from Lee, Yoo Man-soo flails his way through violent encounters, one of which is darkly comedic (and stolen by the hilarious Yeom Hye-ran as a target candidate's wife), another gruesome and calculated. It's these scenes that see Park in glorious contained chaos mode, the master of escalating, brutal pandemonium within one set-piece. Park consistently shows Man-soo on the precipice of violence: The family man standing on the edge of an apartment roof holding a heavy pot plant above a competitor perfectly encapsulates the film's ongoing "Will he actually do it?" tension. Here, Park deploys Kim's stylised cinematography and bold editing by Kim Sang-bum to heighten the more operatic elements of the story. 

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As a viewer, we're simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn't even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It's out of his hands. It's a top-down decision. When you really consider it, Man-soo's simply delivering on blue sky thinking.

No Other Choice was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. The film will hit select cinemas in late December before a broad release in January.

Ever wandered through an established art gallery and thought about prying those valuable masterpieces from the wall and running out the door, all in broad daylight? That's what Josh O'Connor's character cooks up in The Mastermind. But it's not the entire story of Kelly Reichardt's latest, with the writer/director leaning on the art heist genre to take a deeper look into the reasons behind such a decision — and follow a family man on the run during social and political upheaval in America.

Set in '70s Massachusetts and loosely based on the high-profile Worcester Art Museum robbery, The Mastermind plays out such a scenario with charming realism, wholesome comedy, and a rich, seductive score. But its most valuable asset is O'Connor, whose magnetic performance is as hilariously deadpan as it is moving.

The Mastermind plans a highly cosy crime. Josh O'Connor in "The Mastermind." Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc. All Rights Reserved

With a clear pivot in the film's centre, The Mastermind is essentially a story in two acts: the first involving a farcical art heist frankly best left to professional thieves, the second a rambling road trip through American towns, all tainted by the inescapable but subtle presence of the Vietnam War.

As for the heist, Reichardt keeps things characteristically minimalist and as far away from Ocean's 11 flamboyance as possible. We're talking no surveillance tech, limited security staff, and small-town cops on their lunch break. There are no nail-biter safe-cracking scenes, no lasers to avoid, no bait and switch. Instead of a motley crew of specialists pulling "one last job," it's a trio of regular guys led by middle-class family man and unemployed carpenter JB (O'Connor). With his chic and cool-headed wife Terri (Alana Haim) and adorable young sons (Jasper and Sterling Thompson) in tow, he cases the fictitious Framingham Art Museum in order to steal four works by American modernist Arthur Dove. 

SEE ALSO: NYFF 2025 preview: 14 films you'll want to see for yourself (and how)

Everything about this relatively cosy crime feels soft and overtly autumnal, from Rob Mazurek's mellow jazz score to costume designer Amy Roth's array of plush sweaters and cardigans, to the homemade pillowcases Terri sews to transport the stolen works. JB uses paper maps to brief his co-conspirators and hands out beautifully hand-drawn flashcards of the works they need to steal. Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt captures each scene with a nostalgic, low-contrast glow akin to the classic '70s movie aesthetic of The Holdovers, and Anthony Gasparro's production design is a crunchy-leafed suburban landscape of American modernist architecture — and all the wood panelling that goes with it.

Those flash cards. Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc. All Rights Reserved

That being said, there are some sharp edges here once reality hits. Quietly confident he can pull off such a daring crime with ample preparation, JB unwisely puts his faith in his skittish collaborators (Eli Gelb, Cole Doman, and Javion Allen), leading to a bungled execution that is both stressful and comical to watch. Reichardt deploys slapstick comedy sparingly but effectively. At times, The Mastermind even veers into Buster Keaton territory, especially in one of the film's best scenes involving O'Connor's dalliance with a barn ladder and the valiant aim of loft storage. Reader, I cackled. In fact, O'Connor's ability to channel a Keaton-worthy deadpan stare continues throughout the film, one of the many subtle skills the History of Sound actor wields.

Josh O'Connor is a master of deadpan comedy in The Mastermind. Eli Gelb, Javion Allen, and Josh O'Connor in "The Mastermind." Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc. All Rights Reserved

Though The Mastermind precedes the technology by a few decades, O'Connor's JB feels like personification of the deluded shrug guy emoticon, assuring the people around him (especially his exasperated parents, played by Hope Davis and Bill Camp) that everything's going to work out. Despite the title of the film, JB is far from a criminal mastermind, despite one or two Frank Abagnale Jr. moments. However, Reichardt is less interested in following the flashy finesse of a master thief, more in the string of life decisions JB makes to try and provide financial stability for his family (and yes, a sense of personal accomplishment for himself). 

As much as The Mastermind gives O'Connor to play with, it sadly does not bestow the same opportunity on his co-star, Alana Haim, whose role as JB's wife seems bizarrely restricted. Aside from a brief spell of camaraderie during the planning of the heist, Terri is given little to do but glare and seethe at her bumbling husband, though Haim miraculously finds nuance and expression within her allotted silence. JB quite literally pleads with his wife to "say something" and express her feelings. And while women onscreen shouldn't always be required to flip tables to speak their minds, Terri deserves more characterisation than an alarm clock thrown offscreen.

Alana Haim in "The Mastermind." Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc. All Rights Reserved

Where The Mastermind does extrapolate a truly marvellous character is in JB's old friend Fred, an absolute highlight of the film played by John Magaro who is jubilant at having his "mind blown" by his friend's extraordinary actions. The Past Lives actor brings a brilliant sense of levity and warmth to the film (and JB himself) when it's needed, offset by the bristling disdain exuded by Fred's partner Maude (Gaby Hoffmann). We're not privy to every detail of the relationship between these three, with Reichardt leaving the audience to fill in more than a few gaps for themselves. And that's half the magic of The Mastermind.

Featured Video For You 'Challengers' Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist on the significance of the 'I Told Ya' shirt Kelly Reichardt leaves the audience to piece together The Mastermind. Vietnam War-era America is omnipresent. Credit: Mastermind Movie Inc. All Rights Reserved

Showing no intention of tying The Mastermind up in a neat bow, Reichardt doesn't overexplain in her film. Relationships between characters emerge slowly through dialogue; historical context isn't shoved down our throats. But the omnipresence of the Vietnam War is impossible to miss.

The advent of television broadcasting sees JB's father glued to the nightly news while our protagonist sweats about the details of his hometown heist. Anti-war protests and demonstrations pepper the media and the streets on differing scales. This crucial moment of political turbulence in America comes into sharper focus once JB hits the road, where he notices a naval officer on the Greyhound bus shipping out and sees young student activists lambasted by older nationalists. The social and cultural shifts of the '70s seep into the central narrative through offhand comments; a conversation between JB and Fred mentions Canadian communes full of "draft dodgers, radical feminists, dope fiends — nice people."

It's Reichardt's ability to thread such tempestuous historical context through comedy and the heist genre that makes The Mastermind such a unique and endearing film. And it's O'Connor's magnetic performance that makes the film a masterpiece of subtlety and deadpan humour. There are no heist movie archetypes here, only crunchy leaves, modernist art, and bumbling realism. It's a combination worth the steal.

The Mastermind hits U.S. cinemas Oct. 17 and UK and Ireland Oct. 24, after showing at the New York Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival.