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Google's annual review of search trends is here, and while the most popular keywords and queries in 2025 won't surprise you, the way we searched this year underlines a huge shift in our online behavior.

Yes, the "trending" searches this year are, unsurprisingly, topped by topics such as Charlie Kirk's assassination, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and (chuckles) Google's own AI assistant Gemini.

Looks like Google Search users did a lot of searches for Gemini - despite it being baked into Google Search. Credit: Google

Notably, these aren't the most popular terms that were searched on Google; instead, Google says the "lists on the Year in Search 2025 Trends website represent the top trending queries, which are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2025 as compared to 2024."

SEE ALSO: Google Drive is getting better search, but it will cost you

As the company pointed out, with Gemini being baked into Google Search, people started asking questions in more conversational ways. One popular example, according to the company, was “What’s the deal with 6-7," a query which I, myself, have typed into Google at least once this year.

Google also said that more complex queries became more popular this year, with searches for “Tell me about…” being up 70 percent year over year, and searches starting with “How do I…” increasing 25 percent compared to last year.

Check out the entire Google Year in Search 2025 report on the website.

SAVE OVER $60: The Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box is on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's over $60 off and the lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Store Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box $99.99 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $64.71   Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, and most of the deals on tech have gone for the forseeable future. But that's not to say that all the good discounts are dead. In fact, you can find some lowest-ever prices on trading cards.

As of Dec. 4, the Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box is on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's over $60 off and the lowest-ever price. We recently saw this booster box selling for $99.99, so we're not talking about the biggest price drop here. But it was going for well over $100 earlier this year, so anything under $100 is worth considering.

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The Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box comes with 30 play boosters that each contain 14 cards plus a single Token or Art card. Of the 14 cards in each play booster, 1-4 will be "Rare" or better, and could even be a Special Guest Mythic Rare. The chances are slim, but you could get lucky.

Each booster also includes at least one shining Traditional Foil card.

Grab the Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box for its best-ever price at Amazon.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box is available to preorder for $77.50 at Amazon. This item is set for release on Dec. 5.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box $77.50 at Amazon
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The wait is almost over. The The Pokémon TCG Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box is set for release on Dec. 5, making this the last chance to secure your preorder on Amazon. We're not saying that stock is going to disappear all of a sudden, but the situation is constantly shifting with Pokémon right now. Nothing is guaranteed.

The Pokémon TCG Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box is available to preorder for $77.50 at Amazon. That's the lowest-price we've seen for some time. It has been stuck at $79.99 for a while now, so we're not talking about a huge price drop. But this is Pokémon we're talking about. We'll take what we can get.

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This collection box comes with a variety of booster packs, including two Destined Rivals, four Journey Togethers, and two Mega Evolutions. Collectors have been buying this item in huge numbers. In fact, it was one of Mashable's best-selling products over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Need we say more?

Pre-order the Pokémon TCG Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box at Amazon ahead of its Dec. 5 release.

Why do some Christmas movies become annual traditions while others fade into the streaming void? In this episode of How It Hits, we explore why films like A Christmas Story, Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life — and even the “is it or isn’t it” picks like Die Hard — become emotional touchstones that define the season.

For the extended version of this video, visit us on YouTube.

SAVE OVER $30: As of Dec. 4, the Sony WH-CH520 headphones are on sale for $38 at Amazon. This is 46% off their list price of $69.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones $38 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $31.99   Get Deal

If holiday travel is on the horizon for you, it's worth investing in a solid pair of headphones to keep you busy with music, audiobooks, or podcasts on a long journey. Thankfully, a few discounts are still available even after Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Over at Amazon, you can still grab the Sony WH-CH520 headphones for under $40. The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are among our picks for the best budget headphones, but this deal makes them even more worthy. Usually they retail for $69.99, but as of Dec. 4, they're marked down to $38. Multiple colors are available at this price as well, so you can choose between the blue, black, cappuccino, pink, white, or butter yellow headphones.

SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates on deals still live from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

Its not just the more affordable price tag that makes the Sony WH-CH520 headphones stand out. Our long-term review from writer Alex Bracetti said, "Sony’s entry-level headphones surpass expectations by delivering broad connectivity, energetic sound, and longer playtimes than most luxury models." Sony notes that the battery life can last up to 50 hours, which is plenty of time to keep you busy during holiday travel.

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Plus, with such a wide variety of colors available to choose from, you can find a pair that suits your personal taste, which is always nice when shopping for items like headphones. If you've been looking for a new pair to have ahead of the holidays, don't miss out on the Sony WH-CH520 headphones for just $38 at Amazon.

These headphones aren't the only deal still available at Amazon after Cyber Monday sales. Our breakdown of Amazon Cyber Monday deals that are still live highlights some picks that are worth buying before their discounts disappear.

With the holiday season well and truly here, Stephen Colbert took a moment on the Late Show to go through some of the latest Hallmark movie offerings — until an actual royal suddenly appears behind him in the form of Prince Harry, who is apparently dead set on appearing in a holiday movie himself.

"Stephen, I'll do anything," Prince Harry says. "I'll record a self tape, I'll fly myself to an audition, settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House — all the things you people on TV do."

Cue a sudden onset of fake snow behind them as the scene morphs into a Hallmark movie staple, and Colbert confirms Prince Harry has the role.

SAVE $100: As of Dec. 4, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm) is on sale for its lowest-ever price of $249.99 at Amazon. This is 29% off its list price of $349.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 $249.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $100   Get Deal

The seasonal sale events may officially be behind us, but there's still some time left to save on a select few items at various retailers. Amazon is one place with quite a few deals still hanging on, including a selection of smartwatches. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is among them, sitting at its lowest-ever price of $249.99. But time is running out to grab it at this price.

Amazon has a timer placed on the store page of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 that's ticking down, meaning this is the last day (Dec. 4) to score this smartwatch at its lowest price yet. Usually this smartwatch is listed at $349.99, so this is a great opportunity to save $100.

SEE ALSO: Last call on Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

We consider the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 to be the best Samsung smartwatch, thanks to its "well-rounded feature set that offers everything you need in a smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker." Some of these features include a Running Coach to give you feedback on your running performance, Vascular Load monitoring, and Energy Score, which helps you plan ahead for the day based on stats from the previous day. Writer Adam Doud also said in his review that, "Unless you already have a Watch 7, it's worth the upgrade for Android users."

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One thing from our review that's worth keeping in mind is that the battery life was ultimately not what we hoped. Doud notes that he, "averaged about 33 to 35 hours per charge when I let the watch get down to around 5 percent." Despite this, it's a watch he still highly recommends. So, if you've been looking for a smartwatch upgrade, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is worth a look, especially at this low price.

The countdown has started on this Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 deal, so act fast to save at Amazon. Looking for even more deals at Amazon right now? Check out our breakdown of Amazon Cyber Monday deals still live to see what else is still available.

Donald Trump closed his eyes and appeared to be dozing off at a recent cabinet meeting, prompting news stories and inevitable backlash to those stories from his supporters.

In the video above, Jimmy Kimmel plays a clip of the president's eyes closing while he listens to Secretary of State Marco Rubio ("Lower your voice, Marco, you're going to wake him up!" says Kimmel.) Next he plays a montage of various Fox News reporters jumping to the president's defence, before playing another montage of Fox News reporters criticising former president Joe Biden for the exact same thing.

"Wait a minute," says Kimmel, turning for a close-up on another camera. "It's almost like these people are...hypocrites."

Save $230: As of Dec. 4, the Dyson V11 is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. That's a 37% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V11 $399.99 at Amazon
$629.99 Save $230   Get Deal

The Dyson V11 is back on sale at Amazon, down to its lowest price all year, now just $399.99. Dyson vacuums are always impressive, and this one is no different, even without the $230 saving.

It's a cordless vacuum, so it's perfect for whole-home cleaning without having to lug around cables and plugs. The lithium-ion battery is strong too, and will deliver up to 60 minutes of run time and 60% more power than previous models. For different cleaning needs, this vacuum features three cleaning modes: Auto for everyday use, Eco for maximum run time, and Boost for intensive spot cleaning. It even has an LCD screen that shows remaining run time, maintenance alerts, and the current mode selection.

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It works on all kinds of floors too, with the Motorbar cleaner head specifically designed for all floor types and to automatically de-tangle long hair and pet hair while in use. The vacuum also converts into a handheld for cleaning cars, stairs, and upholstery, and it comes with a range of tools, including a Hair Screw tool, a crevice tool, and a mini soft dusting brush.

Pick up this Dyson vacuum deal from Amazon now.

SAVE $600: As of Dec. 4, the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop is on sale at its lowest-ever price of $699.99 at Amazon. This is 46% off its list price of $1,299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop $699.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $600   Get Deal

The holidays are coming up fast, and if you have plans to have friends and family over, a robot vacuum can keep your floors a bit cleaner for your guests. The good news is, even after Cyber Monday, quite a few models are still on sale. This includes the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop, which is still down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

This model usually sits at a hefty price of $1,299.99, but the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni has dropped 46% to $699.99 at Amazon. Considering this is its best-ever price, now is better than later to grab it, as the chances of this deal staying live much longer are pretty slim.

SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates on deals still live from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

The Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni is a powerful robot vacuum that can help your floors stay clean and tidy around the holidays and into the new year. Its 16,600Pa suction (combined with BLAST airflow tech) grabs any dirt, debris, or hair that gets in its way. When it comes to the latter, it even features anti-tangle brushes that help keep hair from getting caught up inside, so there's no stalling as it moves around.

On top of that, its mopping system features an OZMO roller that self-washes while it mops. That way, you won't see any annoying streaks on your floors as this robot vacuum moves around.

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Don't wait, now is the time to scoop up the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop at its lowest-ever price at Amazon. Alternatively, if you're curious what other robot vacuums are on sale right now, Amazon also has the Eufy E25 robot vacuum and mop and the iRobot Roomba Plus 505 Combo on sale after Cyber Monday.

SAVE $113.16: As of Dec. 4, the Garmin vívoactive 5 is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 33% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 5 $186.83 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $113.16   Get Deal

The Garmin vívoactive 5 is back on sale at Amazon, and if you've been looking for an excuse to upgrade (or pick up a Christmas present for someone), you've just found it.

As of Dec. 4, the Garmin watch is down to $186.83, a saving of $113.16 on list price. It's not its lowest-ever price, but it's pretty close according to camelcamelcamel. This price is specific to the ivory colored watch. All colors are reduced (navy, orchid, and slate) but this is the best price available, if color doesn't matter to you.

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The vívoactive 5 is a great option for a watch that has lots of lifestyle metrics as well as health and fitness tracking. It has heaps of Garmin's tracking features including Body Battery, an energy monitoring feature to help you understand when you’re ready for activity or need rest. It has advanced sleep tracking too, which provides a sleep score, coaching, and metrics such as HRV.

For tracking workouts, this watch has more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, along with a wheelchair mode that tracks pushes and includes tailored workouts. You’ll also get extensive health tools like stress tracking, menstrual and pregnancy tracking, meditation, and fitness age. If you're training for a specific goal, you'll find features like workout benefit and recovery time to be useful, stats that help you understand how your workouts impact your body.

Pick up this Garmin deal from Amazon now.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight turned out one of the best British shows of 2025 with A Thousand Blows, and there's more where that came from.

Adolescence stars Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, and Small Axe star Malachi Kirby all return after a highly successful awards run for another round of the Victorian London-set Hulu/Disney+ drama series.

Kicking off one year after the events of Season 1, this season sees East End boxers Hezekiah Moscow (Kirby) and Henry "Sugar" Goodson (Graham) not in a good place, either of them, from the looks of the trailer. Forty Elephants queen Mary Carr (Doherty), her protégé Alice Diamond (Darci Shaw), and exiled temp leader Eliza Moody (Hannah Walters) are back and ready to reunite Mary's all-women gang of thieves for a major heist. But first, Mary'll have to reclaim gang power from Indigo Jeremy (Robert Glenister), who lords over them from the other side of the Thames.

The trailer features all the boxing matches, undercover work at aristocratic parties, and fierce words between unlikely allies we've come to expect from A Thousand Blows.

A Thousand Blows is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ on Jan. 9, 2026.

SAVE OVER $150 As of Dec. 4, the Dyson Airstrait is on sale for $399 at Amazon. That's a 27% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airstrait $399 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $150.99   Get Deal

Whether it's for Christmas shopping or a treat for yourself, Amazon has a great new discount on the Dyson Airstrait. As of Dec. 4, this popular beauty product is down to its lowest-ever price (according to camelcamelcamel), now priced at $399. That's a saving of $150.99, and the perfect excuse to treat yourself.

The Dyson Airstrait is designed to dry and straighten hair at the same time, saving you valuable time in your hair styling process. It moves from wet to finished with one tool and it doesn't rely on hot plates or extreme heat. It works by using a heated, downward airflow to align hair for a smooth, natural-looking straight finish. It even has sensors that regulate temperature and adjust airflow depending on whether hair is between the arms.

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The device uses a high-speed motor to generate enough pressure to straighten as it dries, and the built-in LCD display shows airflow and heat settings while you style. The arms can be locked to pre-dry roots and add volume, and the built-in auto-pause feature reduces noise and energy use when the device isn’t in contact with hair. It can even be used on dry hair to give it a touch up or to restyle it completely.

You can find this Dyson deal at Amazon.

SAVE $200: As of Dec 4, the Toshiba 55-inch Class C350 Series is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 50% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Toshiba Toshiba 55-inch Class C350 Series $199.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, and the next big sales event isn't until Boxing Day. But if you're still on the hunt for some pre-Christmas bargains, whether for a gift or a treat for yourself, Amazon has some deals still hanging around. Like this discount on the Toshiba 55-inch Class C350 Series, still sitting at its Cyber Monday price.

As of Dec. 4, you can save $200 on this TV, with the price down to just $199.99. This price is for the 55-inch model, but all sizes of this TV are on sale, so you can pick an option that works best for your space.

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With this TV you're getting great, 4K quality. It also has an AI 4K upscaler, a feature that enhances Full HD video to make everyday content look crisp and realistic. Sound quality is next level too, thanks to Dolby Atmos.

Fast moving scenes come through clearly thanks to Ultimate Motion, and there are dedicated Game and Sports modes for optimizing performance for responsiveness and smooth movement. And because it runs on Fire TV, your favorite apps and content are organized on the home screen, making it easy to resume whatever you're watching.

Pick up this TV deal at Amazon.

SAVE $49: A Walmart+ subscription is available for just $49 this Black Friday and comes with a year's free subscription to Peacock Premium. That's a 50% saving on the regular annual cost of a Walmart+ subscription.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart+ Walmart+ (1-Year Plan + Peacock) $49 at Walmart
$98 Save $49   Get Deal

While you’re stocking up on devices and tech over Black Friday, don’t forget the savings you get on other things. Great deals on streaming, for instance. Indeed, Black Friday sales include discounts on subscriptions to the best streaming platforms and streaming sticks. And there’s a doubly good deal when you sign up for Walmart+. Not only do you save 50% on the annual cost of Walmart+, but Walmart also throws in a free year of Peacock Premium alongside the numerous shopping perks.

An annual subscription to Walmart+ is now on offer for just $49, which is a 50% saving on the regular annual price of $98. A year’s subscription to Peacock Premium is included for free. The offer is available until Dec. 2.

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You’ll actually save even more than $49 per year on Walmart+, as Peacock Premium usually costs around $132 per year, so you’re getting a saving of approximately $181.

There are other perks to Walmart+, such as free delivery on your home delivery orders, discounts at participating gas stations, and access to other streaming platforms, such as Apple Music, which offers you five months absolutely free through Walmart+.

Peacock Premium itself has a huge amount of content to choose from, including NBC shows such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock, as well as new shows Poker Face, All Her Fault, and The Paper. It's near endless entertainment for free. 

Sign up for a Walmart+ subscription for just $49 this Black Friday and get a free year of Peacock Premium. Deal ends Dec. 2.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love putting things together.

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 4, 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: To snuggle

• Green: To scarf down

• Blue: They need to be built

• Purple: Noses

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Cuddle

• Green: Imbibe

• Blue: Things you assemble

• Purple: Snouts

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 #907 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Cuddle: DRAW CLOSE, HOLD TIGHT, NUZZLE, SPOON

• Imbibe: GUZZLE, KNOCK BACK, POUND DOWN, SWILL

• Things you assemble: IKEA FURNITURE, LEGO SET, MODEL, PUZZLE

• Snouts: BEAK, MUZZLE, PROBOSCIS, ROSTRUM

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 4, 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 the latest Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always in charge.

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 4, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 4, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: In the driver's seat

The words are related to personality traits.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe an authoritative figure.

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 Like A Boss.

NYT Strands word list for December 4

• Like A Boss

• Confident

• Secure

• Assured

• Bold

• Cool

• Assertive

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 the latest Strands.

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

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 4, 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 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A bright-colored flower.

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 T.

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...

TULIP

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 4, 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 the latest Wordle.

Tonight's moon is a special one, it's not just a full moon, it's a supermoon. A supermoon is just a full moon that looks bigger and brighter because the Moon is a bit closer to Earth than usual, so the Moon may look a little clearer and you might find it slightly easier to spot some of its surface features tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 4, the moon phase is Full Moon. This means 100% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Vaporum, Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis Mares. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Alps Mountains, Clavius Crater and the Mare Humorum. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots as well as the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct 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.

A visibly pregnant woman stands in the middle of a bright, modern kitchen, rubbing her belly and speaking to someone on the other end of a phone. The phone screen turns. It's a video call. And it's not just anyone, but her mom, wearing a bright sweater and giving advice.

Ten months later, grandma is telling the toddler a bedtime story. She's wearing the same sweater from before. Ten years go by, the preteen is telling grandma about his day at school. We see that red sweater again. Hm. The grandson is 30 now, he's about to be a dad. Grandma hasn't aged a day.

The scene is an advertisement, selling you the services of 2wai, an app currently in beta that turns a short video clip into an AI-powered avatar. They're one of many companies trying to win people over into creating AI versions of themselves to be used after they die. 

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No longer is the fear of deepfakes and AI-powered legacy projects (frequently called resurrections or "deadbots") the sole worry of famous celebrities. It is here, for the average person, in the hands of your family and friends. 

So what if you don't want a synthetic version of yourself giving advice to your ancestors in perpetuity? Or your AI replica being used in advertisements, art, or by corporations who have access to your data?

It's still uncharted territory, but you have options to ensure your digital likeness stays offline. And there's many reasons, not just legal or financial, why you might want to do it. Here's how.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Romulus's biggest cameo is its greatest error Start thinking about AI before you die

There's one thing that needs to be stated right off the bat: Everyone should be planning for their death. 

"We invest so much time and consideration into milestones like weddings and having children, but very little thought is given to how we want to live our final months and years," said Sarah Chavez. Chavez is the director of Order of the Good Death, a global network of advocates and professionals working to reframe death and dying. 

So alright, you know you need to make sure your digital ducks are in order before you get too old. But do you really need to think about AI, deepfakes, and digital likenesses, of all things?   

If you had asked Chavez this question a year ago, she would have had an entirely different response. That's rapidly changed. "AI has become so prominent in our everyday lives, not just professionally and personally," Chavez explained. "We’re also starting to see the dead used in a way that can have legal and social impact, too." She points to a case of Chris Pelkey, a victim of a road rage incident whose voice was resurrected by his family to give his own victim's statement. Chavez recalls the viral Shotline project, too, which used AI audio deepfakes of gun violence victims to urge politicians to pass common sense gun reform legislation. Similar tech was used to create an AI likeness of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver. 

There's a high degree of risk associated with allowing digital versions of yourself to exist online, with no parameters. Could your digital likeness be used as a tool for scammers, for example, to con your family and friends or even strangers? What about the legal and social ramifications of a chatbot created in your image, one that may become embroiled in the same courtroom battles currently faced by ChatGPT and others. Another big question: What about your personal data privacy? Are you okay with your loved ones providing a tech company or AI developer with the mass amount of data needed to personalize an AI version of you?

"It's important to remember that these tools are created by for-profit tech companies, which raises a number of concerns about ownership of that data and how it will be used," warns Chavez. 

Regular people, not just celebrities or those who become headlines, are seeing the fallout of unhampered access to generative AI, like targeted scams and growing misinformation. Just a handful of bullet points in your will could decide whether your digital legacy is mired in the same controversies. If there was ever a time to start planning for the end of your life, it's now. 

First task: Take a digital asset inventory. AI, your death, and the law 

Cody Barbo, the founder of digital estate planning tool Trust & Will, suggests people use estate planning to better control their digital footprint. The service is like TurboTax but for writing a will, and he says he built it to help regular people who may be avoiding the conversation completely. It's also a way to bring tech into an industry that has been slow to adopt, even as AI poses huge security and estate questions. 

"Over the past decade, end-of-life planning regarding tech has primarily focused on encouraging people to include information about what they want done with their cell phone, email accounts, and social media platforms, and making sure they’ve provided passwords and login information for their accounts," Chavez explained. With AI an emerging and yet dominant tech, the industry needs to catch up. 

"We're just at the entry point," Barbo said. "We're dipping our toes in the water of what an AI version of ourselves could look like. [But] we want people to know that you can be in control."

How does that work in practice? "The challenge with trying to protect something that is so new, that is so innovative, is that there's no legislation to help you," explained Solomon Adote, the chief information security officer of The Estate Registry and former Chief Security Officer for the state of Delaware. "Some states say you cannot violate certain privacy protections, but nothing that explicitly says that you cannot abuse this person's likeness, image, or other aspects of their representation." In the background, a patchwork of state laws are trying to address these concerns through extended privacy laws, which would better protect your digital assets, including data privacy, after you die.

For now, individuals have to turn to proactive estate planning. 

What are you trying to protect?

First task: Take a digital asset inventory. This involves surveying and noting all your digital accounts, log-ins, and data, like social media pages, bank log-ins, but also Cloud-based drives, or even text messages or DMs. This also includes defining exactly what your digital likeness includes — is it just depictions of you as an adult? Does it include your voice and physical mannerisms? What version of yourself can or cannot be turned into AI?

Some people may want to solicit the services of a digital identity trust, Adote said, which can help manage your online identity and intellectual property. 

Who will help you protect it?

Next: Assign a digital fiduciary and know the (albeit limited) law. This is a person (or persons) who is given designated access to your digital assets, including online accounts. You can grant permission to just specific assets or entirely limit access through both your will and fiduciary. You can also provide them with guidance for your digital likeness, which is in itself a digital asset, Adote explained.

The boundaries of digital fiduciaries are covered under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), which has not been passed by every state. Under this law, a person assigned as a digital fiduciary can legally provide or gain access to someone's online accounts after death or even incapacitation. But only trustee executors can access the content of said accounts, and only if the person who died consented. Tech companies, like Google and Meta, also operate under RUFADAA (that's why we have things like Facebook legacy accounts and contacts now). If you don't assign a fiduciary, your accounts default to the tech company's Terms of Service. 

What will you allow and who will benefit?

Once you've assigned a fiduciary, you need to have a direct conversation with them about what they should and should not allow. With your "explicitly written and validated position" on AI use, Adote said, fiduciaries can more easily take legal action, like issuing cease and desist orders on intellectual property.

You can, quite simply, write that you do not consent to someone creating an AI-generated likeliness of yourself in your will, said experts.

You may want to phrase this as "living on in AI-form" or the "publication of an AI-generated, synthetic version" of yourself. You may also want to be clear about data usage: I do not consent to the use of my personal data to create an AI-powered digital likeness of myself. Adote suggests your will should show clear intent, with phrasing like "I do not authorize my image or likeness to be used in any way, form, or fashion."

Go over these with an estate attorney, as everyone's situation and end of life needs are different — and state laws vary. 

You can also stipulate very precise cases for how your digital likeness can be used, if it's not a hard no. But be conservative and narrow with this language, other experts suggested. Write down, for example, exactly who is allowed to use or release it, just as you would with other assets or accounts. List any explicit charities or companies that are allowed to use your likeness, as well. 

Think deeply about what the end is for you. - Emma Payne, Help Texts

If your likeness is in any way attached to your livelihood — that includes influencers — be clear about potential financial gain that could be generated from a personal AI, and decide where that money will go. 

These directives should be expressly written down in your will or another document that is accessible after you die. It comes down to just a few, clear bullet points, experts say. 

AI, grief, and memory

There's a few, non-legal things to consider, too, especially if you are raring to live on in AI form. What are your values, and what is best for those who will miss you? 

You may have ethical concerns about the use of AI — like its environmental impact or the political and financial motives held by its developers — and you'll want to account for those at the end of your life too, said Chavez. 

Or maybe you want to curb any general use of your digital likeness, but still leave room for a digital version of yourself to be used by your family, for example. Consider what that entails. "While a griefbot can be trained with your own writing, and voice, it’s still selective or biased data used to create an inauthentic version of the deceased," said Chavez, who also warns that prolonged interactions with the AI version of a person may fundamentally change the way they are perceived and remembered. 

Emma Payne is a bereavement researcher and the founder of Help Texts, a text-based grief support subscription service. Payne is concerned not just with the typical ways that AI has infiltrated posthumous legacies, like AI deepfakes and chatbots programmed to mimic your loved ones, but also how technology is encroaching upon our social relationships. To her, memory matters. But imitation is an entirely different thing. 

"End of life is a deeply human time and a massive opportunity for human connection and caring. So pushing it out, and trying to say that it's not the end, worries me. Think deeply about what the end is for you," Payne recommends. "By trying to extend or mitigate or transform that experience, knowing that you're in the most human of times, are you helping the people you leave behind or are you actually hurting them?"

Take the recent words of Zelda Williams, director and daughter of actor Robin Williams, who took to the internet to decry AI-generated content of her father and other late celebrities: "To watch the legacies of real people be condensed down to ‘this vaguely looks and sounds like them so that’s enough’, just so other people can churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering them is maddening… If you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop."

SEE ALSO: Deepfake voice scams are more sophisticated than ever: How to keep your family safe

Bereavement is a complicated process, but there are a few solid truths. First, one must accept the person's death. Second, they need to find appropriate ways to memorialize them. Anything that tries to replace a real person and their memories with a pretend, future version, Payne says, is missing the entire point of healthy grief. 

AI is becoming a bigger player in death, even behind-the-scenes. But even players in the industry that have embraced AI technologies are hesitant to incorporate them fully into the realm of end-of-life planning. Zack Moy is the co-founder of Afterword, a tech company that provides AI-powered infrastructure for funeral planning. Moy says he doesn't build tech-based solutions unless he's sure they'll better the human experience. He'd never replace grief with a bot, for example, but he can use AI to make it easier to execute a person's wishes after death. 

"The vast majority of funeral directors we work with care about what they're doing and deeply care about that family experience, and we followed their example," Moy said. "The technology isn't going to make the suffering any easier. We can't make death not suck." 

As a technological society, we are skirting close to a grief precipice, a social reckoning with death and memory that's been expedited by what is now referred to as "Death Tech." With the rise of generative AI, tech isn't just helping account for digital assets or speeding up funeral planning in order to make the grief of our loved ones a little lighter. It's trying to change our lives post-mortem. Now we must reconcile with how we will be memorialized, mimicked, or even mocked by our very own likenesses at the hand of strangers and loved ones.

"We all have a 'legacy' to consider," said Chavez. "Just as we ask people what a 'good death' looks like for them, we need to ask ourselves what does a good legacy look like? Actions that align with your values and beliefs? Authenticity?"