The Sunday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #699, serving up a grid that moves from football recordkeeping and basketball culture to active rosters and baseball geography.

What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #699:

EDDIE | GEORGE | TOUCHDOWNS | HUSTLE
AIR | YARDS | TATUM | WHITE
GREAT | HOOSIERS | ATTEMPTS | GLOBE
CITIZENS | FUMBLES | PRITCHARD | SUTTER

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about the columns in a football box score that describe one player's workload, production, and ball security.

Green Category Clue: Shift your attention from action on the court to stories about the sport told on screen.

Blue Category Hint: Treat a cluster of surnames as a roster check, not as a collection of historical figures.

Purple Category Teaser: Venue signage matters here. Extend each short entry into a familiar proper name associated with game day.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Stats For A Running Back): ATTEMPTS, FUMBLES, TOUCHDOWNS, YARDS

ATTEMPTS, YARDS, TOUCHDOWNS, and FUMBLES are STATS FOR A RUNNING BACK, covering workload, production, scoring, and ball security.

The sharp red herring is EDDIE beside GEORGE, since Eddie George was an NFL running back even though both words belong elsewhere.

Green (One-Word Basketball Movies): AIR, EDDIE, HOOSIERS, HUSTLE

AIR, HUSTLE, HOOSIERS, and EDDIE are ONE-WORD BASKETBALL MOVIES, with each grid entry serving as a complete film title.

AIR pulls toward YARDS because air yards is established football terminology, while EDDIE pulls toward GEORGE through the former running back's full name.

Blue (Current Boston Celtics): GEORGE, PRITCHARD, TATUM, WHITE

GEORGE, TATUM, WHITE, and PRITCHARD form CURRENT BOSTON CELTICS, making the blue solve a surname-based roster test.

GEORGE is the dangerous holdout because pairing it with EDDIE creates a compelling football connection, while GREAT and WHITE also form the familiar phrase “great white.”

Purple (First Words In Home Ballparks Of Mlb Teams): CITIZENS, GLOBE, GREAT, SUTTER

GLOBE, GREAT, CITIZENS, and SUTTER are FIRST WORDS IN HOME BALLPARKS OF MLB TEAMS.

They open Globe Life Field, Great American Ball Park, Citizens Bank Park, and Sutter Health Park, respectively. The trick is recognizing venue-name fragments rather than looking for a shared baseball definition.

The Verdict

Yellow is the cleanest first solve because its four terms read naturally as one football stat line. The real trap is the EDDIE-GEORGE pairing, reinforced by AIR-YARDS as another convincing cross-group football link.

Purple is the streak-deciding group because its entries only click after each is expanded into a complete venue name. GREAT-WHITE supplies one last distraction across the blue and purple sets.

Reset and Repeat

Today's best trick was hiding four baseball venues behind their opening words, a satisfying finish once the roster and film traps were cleared. Reset the board tomorrow and look for another small-word disguise.

For now, puzzle #699 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's Extreme Quordle lands with puzzle #755, and the four-word set blends familiar language with two stubborn vocabulary and spelling traps. Welcome back, and settle in for a demanding board.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 8 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the tighter daily format with more unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of focused, personal guidance in a learning setting.

The Category: This is a noun for a person connected with teaching and individual instruction.

The Boundaries: Starts with T, ends with R.

The Structure: T repeats in positions 1 and 3

The Giveaway: It describes someone who teaches a student individually or in a small group.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a small adjustment that makes something work a little better.

The Category: This can be a verb or noun associated with minor changes and fine adjustments.

The Boundaries: Starts with T, ends with K.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: It means to alter something slightly, often to improve its performance or appearance.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: The theme shifts to a painful bout of abdominal distress.

The Category: This is a medical noun for a form of severe abdominal pain.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with C.

The Structure: C repeats in positions 1 and 5

The Giveaway: It names intense, often fluctuating abdominal pain, especially when discussing infants.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of the state after sleep has ended.

The Category: This is a past participle describing the completion of emerging from sleep.

The Boundaries: Starts with W, ends with N.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: It means having ceased to be asleep, typically following a form of the verb meaning to possess.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: T | Last Letter: R

Word 2 First Letter: T | Last Letter: K

Word 3 First Letter: C | Last Letter: C

Word 4 First Letter: W | Last Letter: N

Today's Extreme Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): TUTOR
Word 2 (Top-Right): TWEAK
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): COLIC
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): WOKEN

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

TUTOR: TUTOR is a noun meaning someone who gives individual or small-group instruction, and it also works as a verb for providing that instruction. In everyday use, it often refers to extra academic help outside a regular class.

TWEAK: TWEAK is a verb meaning to make a small adjustment, or a noun for the adjustment itself. It fits everyday discussions of settings, designs, recipes, and plans that need minor refinement.

COLIC: COLIC is a noun for severe, fluctuating abdominal pain, particularly a condition associated with prolonged crying in infants. Outside clinical writing, it appears most often in conversations about infant feeding, crying, and digestive discomfort.

WOKEN: WOKEN is the past participle of the verb wake, meaning to have emerged from sleep or caused someone to do so. Everyday sentences pair it with has, have, or had, as in a description of someone being roused early.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 4 out of 5. COLIC is the hardest answer because its medical meaning is less conversational and its matching consonants sit at opposite ends.

TWEAK is the easiest thanks to its familiar sense and five distinct characters. TUTOR adds a doubled consonant, while WOKEN can be missed when the board invites base verbs instead of an irregular participle.

Strategic Insights

Begin with broad coverage across vowels and distinct consonants, since every answer contains two vowels and three consonants. Preserve later guesses for resolving the doubled characters in TUTOR and COLIC.

The real pattern is a mix of internal repetition and cross-board overlap. TUTOR and TWEAK share T, TWEAK and WOKEN share W, E, and K, while TUTOR, COLIC, and WOKEN all contain O.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid from your mind, and come back ready for the next four-word board.

Extreme puzzle #756 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Chill Quordle lands with puzzle #755, and brings a grounded quartet with familiar ideas, one less familiar description, and a small spelling sting. Welcome back, settle in and enjoy the board.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 12 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the roomier daily format with fewer unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think machinery, plumbing, and careful control over what passes through.

The Category: This is a noun for a device used to regulate movement through a system.

The Boundaries: Starts with V, ends with E.

The Structure: V repeats in positions 1 and 4

The Giveaway: It is the movable control that opens, closes, or regulates the flow of liquid or gas.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a compact figure with a heavy, awkward outline.

The Category: This adjective describes someone or something as short, broad, and somewhat ungainly.

The Boundaries: Starts with D, ends with Y.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 2.

The Giveaway: It describes a squat, thickset appearance that lacks graceful proportions.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of retrieving something and bringing it back to where it is wanted.

The Category: This is a verb associated with going after an object and returning with it.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with H.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 2.

The Giveaway: It means to go somewhere, collect a requested thing, and bring it back.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think lists, contests, records, and the act of gaining access.

The Category: This noun can refer to something submitted or recorded, as well as the act or means of going in.

The Boundaries: Starts with E, ends with Y.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 1.

The Giveaway: It is an item placed on a list or submitted for consideration, or the act of going inside.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: V | Last Letter: E

Word 2 First Letter: D | Last Letter: Y

Word 3 First Letter: F | Last Letter: H

Word 4 First Letter: E | Last Letter: Y

Today's Chill Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): VALVE
Word 2 (Top-Right): DUMPY
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): FETCH
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): ENTRY

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

VALVE: VALVE is a noun for a device that controls the passage of liquid or gas through a pipe or machine. In everyday use, it appears in discussions of plumbing, engines, tires, and medical anatomy.

DUMPY: DUMPY is an adjective meaning short, broad, and awkwardly shaped. It usually describes appearance and often carries an unflattering tone, so context matters when applying it to a person.

FETCH: FETCH is a verb meaning to go for something and bring it back. It is common in requests involving objects and in descriptions of a dog retrieving a thrown toy.

ENTRY: ENTRY is a noun for the act or means of entering, or for an item recorded or submitted. Everyday uses include a diary entry, a contest entry, and permission of entry into a place.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet rates 2.5 out of 5, with DUMPY the hardest answer because its descriptive sense is less routine and its U-M-P sequence can be slow to recognize.

FETCH is the easiest thanks to its familiar everyday meaning, though its closing T-C-H cluster demands exact placement. VALVE supplies the other clear trap by repeating V while the remaining answers use five distinct letters.

Strategic Insights

Use an opener that covers E, T, Y, A, and a strong spread of consonants, then prioritize boards showing the shared E or T before spending a guess on narrower letters such as V or P.

The repeated and shared-letter pattern is compact: VALVE repeats V, FETCH and ENTRY share E and T, DUMPY and ENTRY share Y, and VALVE also shares E with FETCH and ENTRY.

Tomorrow's Reset

Enjoy the reset, and come back for the next four-word board with a fresh grid and a clean slate.

Chill puzzle #756 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Classic Quordle lands with puzzle #1672, and brings a varied quartet that moves from familiar vocabulary into sharper, less routine territory. Welcome, settle in, and work each board on its own terms.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 9 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the original daily format. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think dramatic landscapes and a gap too vast to step across.

The Category: This is a concrete noun from the territory of rugged terrain and deep divisions.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with M.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It is a deep, steep-sided opening in the ground, or figuratively a profound separation between sides.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think responsibility when something has gone wrong.

The Category: This can be a noun or a verb connected with fault and accountability.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: As a verb, it means to hold someone responsible for a mistake or bad outcome.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think careful kitchen preparation and removing only the outermost layer.

The Category: This is a concrete noun for a person or tool that trims away an outside surface.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with R.

The Structure: R repeats in positions 3 and 5

The Giveaway: It describes someone or something used to shave the outside from fruit or vegetables.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think rules agreed upon inside an organization.

The Category: This is a concrete noun from the territory of organizational governance and internal regulations.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with W.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 4.

The Giveaway: It is a regulation adopted by a group to govern its own affairs.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: C | Last Letter: M

Word 2 First Letter: B | Last Letter: E

Word 3 First Letter: P | Last Letter: R

Word 4 First Letter: B | Last Letter: W

Today's Classic Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): CHASM
Word 2 (Top-Right): BLAME
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): PARER
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): BYLAW

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

CHASM: CHASM is a noun meaning a deep fissure or gorge, and it also describes a serious divide between people or positions. Everyday use often favors that figurative sense, as in a growing separation between opposing views.

BLAME: BLAME works as both a noun and a verb, referring to responsibility for something wrong or the act of assigning that responsibility. It commonly appears with words such as take, place, or shift.

PARER: PARER is a noun for a person who pares something or a tool used to remove a thin outer layer. In everyday usage, it is most readily understood in a kitchen context, especially as the name of a small peeling tool.

BYLAW: BYLAW is a noun meaning a rule adopted by an organization or local authority to regulate its affairs. The word commonly appears when discussing clubs, boards, associations, and municipal regulations.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3.5 out of 5 for difficulty, with familiar meanings offset by two spellings that demand careful confirmation.

PARER is the hardest answer because the agent noun is less routine and its repeated R can remain hidden after the other characters are placed. BYLAW also presents an unusual early Y and a W ending.

BLAME is the easiest answer, thanks to its familiar vocabulary and standard consonant-vowel structure. CHASM is recognizable but packs four consonants around a single vowel, which can slow precise placement.

Strategic Insights

Open with guesses that cover A and E alongside a broad spread of consonants, especially C, H, S, M, B, L, P, R, Y, and W. Delay duplicate testing until one board clearly points toward it.

A appears in all four answers, while M is shared by CHASM and BLAME, B and L are shared by BLAME and BYLAW, and E is shared by BLAME and PARER. Only PARER repeats a letter, with R appearing twice, while the other three answers use five distinct letters.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid, reset your instincts, and come back for the next four-word board.

Classic puzzle #1673 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Sunday, August 23, 2026 (Puzzle #903). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "An epic journey"

What It Really Means

You are hunting for figures, places, and objects tied to a single ancient Greek homecoming tale.

Think About...

• Think of a seafaring hero struggling to return home.
• Recall the creatures and temptations encountered along the way.
• Look beyond characters to settings, titles, and travel equipment.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Left to right across the board

Letter Count: 10 letters

Starting Zone: Row 8, letter 6

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): The connecting entry is the name of the ancient work behind every clue.

Hint 2 (Warmer): It is Homer's poem about a warrior's long return to Ithaca.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is Y

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THEODYSSEY

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: A singular feature defines this mythical giant.

Closer: Odysseus escapes this one-eyed giant after blinding him.

Letter Clue: Starts with C, 7 letters total

Answer

CYCLOPS

Word 2

Vague: A crowned ruler.

Closer: The royal title held by the ruler of Ithaca.

Letter Clue: Starts with K, 4 letters total

Answer

KING

Word 3

Vague: A vessel built for travel over water.

Closer: Odysseus and his crew cross the sea aboard one.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 4 letters total

Answer

SHIP

Word 4

Vague: Their appeal is as dangerous as it is beautiful.

Closer: Their enchanting song draws sailors toward disaster.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total

Answer

SIRENS

Word 5

Vague: A group hoping to win someone's hand.

Closer: They crowd Penelope's home and compete to marry her.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total

Answer

SUITORS

Word 6

Vague: A realm reached by descending beyond mortal life.

Closer: The hero visits this land of the dead to consult a prophet.

Letter Clue: Starts with U, 10 letters total

Answer

UNDERWORLD

Full Answers

Spangram: THEODYSSEY

Theme Words:

• CYCLOPS
• KING
• SHIP
• SIRENS
• SUITORS
• UNDERWORLD

Puzzle Debrief

Difficulty Rating: Medium, because several entries are broad nouns until the Homeric connection clicks.

Trickiest Word: KING is the likeliest stall, since it is a broad four-letter title with little thematic force on its own.

Our Take: THE ODYSSEY gives the set a strong narrative spine. CYCLOPS and SIRENS supply vivid mythic encounters, while KING, SHIP, SUITORS, and UNDERWORLD cover royal status, travel, conflict at home, and the journey's darkest detour.

The Sunday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1169, serving up a grid that rewards attention to spelling, everyday knowledge, and the precise relationship between an item and its source.

What Makes Connections Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1169:

ANTIFREEZE | VACUUM | BAKING SODA | VOLCANO
VINEGAR | VODKA | TINDERBOX | POTATO BATTERY
SKIING | HOME FRIES | CLUB SODA | POWDER KEG
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE | BAZAAR | VISCHYSSOISE | TIME BOMB

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Look for a shared sense of danger, with both literal and figurative readings in play.

Green Category Clue: Set meaning aside for a pass and inspect how neighboring letters behave.

Blue Category Hint: Trace several very different items back to what they can be made from.

Purple Category Teaser: The final connection is practical rather than punny. Think about ordinary fixes for a stubborn everyday mess.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Potentially Explosive Things): POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX, VOLCANO

POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX, and VOLCANO are POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS. The first three also work figuratively for unstable situations, while VOLCANO supplies the unmistakably literal force of nature.

Green (Double Vowels): ANTIFREEZE, BAZAAR, SKIING, VACUUM

ANTIFREEZE, BAZAAR, SKIING, and VACUUM contain DOUBLE VOWELS. Their consecutive pairs form a tidy sweep: ee, aa, ii, and uu.

Blue (Made With Potatoes): HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE, VODKA

HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE, and VODKA are MADE WITH POTATOES. The ingredient becomes breakfast food, soup, an experiment component, or a spirit feedstock.

VODKA creates a useful red herring because it can drift toward the grid's other bottled liquids, especially VINEGAR and CLUB SODA.

Purple (Household Stain Removers): BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, VINEGAR

BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, and VINEGAR are HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS. Each is a familiar substance used in spot-cleaning methods, though the correct treatment still depends on the material and spill.

VACUUM is the sharpest red herring because it belongs to cleaning territory but is equipment rather than one of the substances in the answer.

The Verdict

The danger set should fall first, since POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, and TINDERBOX lock together before VOLCANO confirms the theme.

The spelling set rewards a visual scan, and its aa, ee, ii, and uu pattern becomes decisive once noticed.

The real trap lives around cleaning, where VACUUM fits the activity and VODKA resembles the liquid candidates. Separating tools and bottles from actual stain treatments is the streak-deciding move.

Reset and Repeat

Today's standout construction is the clean aa, ee, ii, and uu sweep hidden across four unrelated-looking words.

Reset the grid, keep that letter-level inspection in your toolkit, and come back tomorrow for another set of connections.

For now, puzzle #1169 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1891, and presents a deceptively familiar challenge with an old-fashioned twist. Streak protectors and newcomers alike are welcome to work through it with us.

The Basics (For New Players)

Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.

Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1891 awaits.

The Letter Rundown

Today's puzzle breaks down like this:

Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
Letter Rarity: All common letters

The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)

We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.

Level 1 (The Vibe): It carries a nostalgic, storybook glow from a distant past.

Level 2 (The Category): This adjective describes something belonging to a time long past.

Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with O, ends with N.

Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 1 and 4.

Level 5 (The Giveaway): Think of the nostalgic word placed before “days” when recalling a bygone era.

Quick-Reference Clues

First Letter: O

Last Letter: N

Vowels Present: O, E

Double Letters: No

Rhymes With: No spoiler-safe rhyme is listed today.

Today's Wordle Answer

Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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The answer to Wordle #1891 is: OLDEN

Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer

OLDEN means belonging to or associated with a past age, often viewed nostalgically. It appears most naturally in phrases such as “olden days” and “olden customs.”

Origins: The word comes from Middle English olden, formed from old with the adjectival suffix -en.

Word Family: old, older, oldest, oldish, oldness

Fun Fact: OLDEN now survives chiefly in the familiar phrase “olden days.” That slightly antique flavor makes it easy to recognize in context but harder to retrieve from a modern-word shortlist, which suits a Wordle trap beautifully.

The Streak Saver Rating

Difficulty is 4 out of 5, with an archaic-vocabulary trap. All five letters are distinct, but the opening O and closing N frame a less expected form than the everyday words nearby.

A solver who locks in O-L-D-E can reflexively enter OLDER because that everyday comparative comes to mind first. Outside hard mode, a probe such as RANCH tests N and R together before the final commitment.

What This Puzzle Teaches

When a nearly complete pattern points toward one everyday form, inventory less common grammatical relatives before committing. Unique letters reduce duplication risk, but vocabulary breadth still decides the grid.

Tomorrow's Reset

Puzzle #1892 drops at midnight in your timezone, Sunday handing the streak over to a fresh board.

How did OLDEN treat your grid, did the final consonant arrive cleanly or force one last rethink?

See you at midnight for the next challenge.

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and a compact mix of cultural trivia, familiar phrases, and crisp action clues keeps the grid lively without a formal gimmick. Settle in for a clean, satisfying solve.

How The Mini Works

The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.

New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 5x6

Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 7A is the trickiest clue because it asks you to judge the story behind a song lyric instead of simply recalling the lyric itself.

Gimme Clue: 5D is the clearest gimme, since the central divider on a ping-pong table has one immediate name.

Theme Spotted: None today, straight trivia and wordplay.

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. ___-Dixon line
Hint: 1A completes the name of the historic boundary associated with Dixon and the division between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Five letters, starts with M.

6A. More than enough
Hint: 6A wants an adjective meaning comfortably sufficient, with room to spare. Five letters, starts with A.

7A. Obvious verdict in Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me"
Hint: 7A asks for the verdict suggested by the narrator's repeated denial in Shaggy's song. Five letters, starts with G.

8A. Hit the slopes
Hint: 8A means to descend a snowy slope using paired narrow runners. Three letters, starts with S.

9A. Something to "keep on the prize"
Hint: 9A draws on the familiar expression about maintaining focus on a reward. Three letters, starts with E.

Down Hints

1D. People or Rolling Stone, for short
Hint: 1D treats People and Rolling Stone as the same kind of periodical, then requests a clipped form. Three letters, starts with M.

2D. Make laugh
Hint: 2D wants a verb for causing someone to laugh or find something entertaining. Five letters, starts with A.

3D. Like the skin of a durian fruit
Hint: 3D describes a surface covered with sharp, projecting points, just like a durian's rind. Five letters, starts with S.

4D. Skate park jump
Hint: 4D names the skateboard jump in which the rider and board rise together without a hand grab. Five letters, starts with O.

5D. Part of a ping-pong table
Hint: 5D is the taut divider stretched across the middle of the playing surface. Three letters, starts with N.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. ___-Dixon line
Answer: MASON

6A. More than enough
Answer: AMPLE

7A. Obvious verdict in Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me"
Answer: GUILT

8A. Hit the slopes
Answer: SKI

9A. Something to "keep on the prize"
Answer: EYE

Down Answers

1D. People or Rolling Stone, for short
Answer: MAG

2D. Make laugh
Answer: AMUSE

3D. Like the skin of a durian fruit
Answer: SPIKY

4D. Skate park jump
Answer: OLLIE

5D. Part of a ping-pong table
Answer: NET

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 7A, “Obvious verdict in Shaggy's ‘It Wasn't Me,’” with GUILT, defines the grid's playful tone. The clue turns the song's emphatic denial into a judgment about what the narrator plainly appears to be hiding.

Wordplay Winner: 9A wins the wordplay prize with EYE. The clue removes that word from the familiar instruction to “keep your eye on the prize,” leaving the solver to restore the missing body part.

Quick Fill: NET at 5D is the fastest confident fill, and its crossings lock the final letters of MASON, AMPLE, and GUILT in sequence.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Start with concrete objects and actions such as NET and SKI, then use their crossings to settle broader definitions such as AMPLE.

When a clue quotes a familiar phrase, identify the missing grammatical role before chasing synonyms. That approach makes EYE much quicker to recognize at 9A.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid rewarded direct recall while saving its sharpest smile for GUILT. Its blend of clean definitions and compact cultural references made every crossing useful.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and mixes brisk trivia with a skeletal wordplay finish. Settle in for a grid that rewards both quick recall and close reading.

How The Midi Works

The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.

New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 9x10

Total Clues: 35 (18 Across, 17 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 5D is the trickiest clue because its surface asks for analysis while the circled skeletal pieces demand a second reading.

Gimme Clue: 31A is the gimme because bacon, lettuce, and tomato point directly to familiar sandwich shorthand.

Theme Spotted: "Crossbones"

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Bitter-tasting
Hint: 1A: Think of a sharp, biting flavor, especially when the same description is applied to criticism. Five letters, starts with A.

6A. CBS forensic show with many spinoffs
Hint: 6A: Recall the title of CBS's crime-lab franchise with versions set in several cities. Three letters, starts with C.

9A. ___ Act, statute passed in 1764 to deter molasses smuggling
Hint: 9A: Think of the 1764 British statute aimed at colonial trade in sweeteners and molasses. Five letters, starts with S.

10A. Bumbling sort
Hint: 10A: Picture a clumsy, foolish person who keeps bungling simple tasks. Three letters, starts with O.

11A. "Go ahead, ask away!"
Hint: 11A: Use the short challenge that invites someone to pose a question. Five letters, starts with T.

12A. ___ the record
Hint: 12A: Complete the phrase for a statement not intended for attribution. Three letters, starts with O.

13A. Psychic's so-called "skill," for short
Hint: 13A: Think of the abbreviation for claimed perception beyond the ordinary senses. Three letters, starts with E.

14A. Back street
Hint: 14A: Picture a narrow passage running behind buildings rather than a main road. Five letters, starts with A.

16A. Movie shoot do-over
Hint: 16A: Think of another filmed attempt after the director rejects the previous shot. Six letters, starts with R.

18A. Jump to conclusions
Hint: 18A: Use the verb for accepting something as true without proof. Six letters, starts with A.

22A. Wanderer
Hint: 22A: Think of someone who travels from place to place without a fixed home. Five letters, starts with N.

25A. What might be caked on a dog after a rainy hike
Hint: 25A: Picture the wet earth stuck thickly to a dog's coat after a rainy hike. Three letters, starts with M.

26A. The Cavaliers of the N.C.A.A.
Hint: 26A: Identify the university represented by the Cavaliers in college athletics. Three letters, starts with U.

27A. Busy airport in the Midwest
Hint: 27A: Think of Chicago's major aviation hub northwest of the city. Five letters, starts with O.

29A. Disfigure
Hint: 29A: Use a verb meaning to damage the appearance of something. Three letters, starts with M.

30A. "Dangerous ___" (2016 Ariana Grande hit)
Hint: 30A: Supply the final word in Ariana Grande's 2016 hit title. Five letters, starts with W.

31A. Sandwich whose initials stand for its ingredients
Hint: 31A: Think of the sandwich abbreviated from bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Three letters, starts with B.

32A. Singer Diamond
Hint: 32A: Think of Diamond, the singer-songwriter behind “Sweet Caroline.” Four letters, starts with N.

Down Hints

1D. Flower that blooms in fall
Hint: 1D: Think of a daisy-like flower that brings color to autumn gardens. Five letters, starts with A.

2D. Put a hex on
Hint: 2D: Use the verb for placing a supernatural hex on someone. Five letters, starts with C.

3D. Home of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Hint: 3D: Name the country containing Giza and its famous pyramid complex. Five letters, starts with E.

4D. Animal with a hard head
Hint: 4D: Picture the horned male sheep known for head-butting. Three letters, starts with R.

5D. Analyzes ... or how to describe the circled bones in the 1st and 8th columns of this puzzle?
Hint: 5D: Read “analyzes” as a phrasal verb, then apply its second sense to the circled skeletal pieces. Ten letters, starts with B.

6D. "Sweet!"
Hint: 6D: Use the slang response meaning “Excellent!” Four letters, starts with C.

7D. Umpire's call with arms stretched out horizontally
Hint: 7D: Picture the baseball signal given with both arms extended sideways. Four letters, starts with S.

8D. Far from certain
Hint: 8D: Think of an adjective for a doubtful or uncertain proposition. Four letters, starts with I.

15D. "Allez ___ Bleus!" (French sports rallying cry)
Hint: 15D: Supply the French plural article in the rallying cry for the Blues. Three letters, starts with L.

17D. Battery for a wireless mouse, perhaps
Hint: 17D: Think of the small cylindrical battery commonly used in a wireless mouse. Three letters, starts with A.

19D. Savory taste
Hint: 19D: Name the savory taste associated with glutamates, broth, and aged cheese. Five letters, starts with U.

20D. Certain public artwork
Hint: 20D: Picture a large painting made directly on a public wall. Five letters, starts with M.

21D. Garden of Adam and Eve
Hint: 21D: Think of the biblical paradise inhabited by Adam and Eve. Four letters, starts with E.

22D. Like an arm that's asleep
Hint: 22D: Describe the lack of sensation caused by pressure on a sleeping limb. Four letters, starts with N.

23D. Shape of a rugby ball
Hint: 23D: Use the geometric word for an elongated circle. Four letters, starts with O.

24D. Spot to shop
Hint: 24D: Think of a compact retail center or trading place. Four letters, starts with M.

28D. Weed removal tool
Hint: 28D: Picture the long-handled garden implement used to loosen soil and uproot weeds. Three letters, starts with H.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Bitter-tasting
Answer: ACERB

6A. CBS forensic show with many spinoffs
Answer: CSI

9A. ___ Act, statute passed in 1764 to deter molasses smuggling
Answer: SUGAR

10A. Bumbling sort
Answer: OAF

11A. "Go ahead, ask away!"
Answer: TRYME

12A. ___ the record
Answer: OFF

13A. Psychic's so-called "skill," for short
Answer: ESP

14A. Back street
Answer: ALLEY

16A. Movie shoot do-over
Answer: RETAKE

18A. Jump to conclusions
Answer: ASSUME

22A. Wanderer
Answer: NOMAD

25A. What might be caked on a dog after a rainy hike
Answer: MUD

26A. The Cavaliers of the N.C.A.A.
Answer: UVA

27A. Busy airport in the Midwest
Answer: OHARE

29A. Disfigure
Answer: MAR

30A. "Dangerous ___" (2016 Ariana Grande hit)
Answer: WOMAN

31A. Sandwich whose initials stand for its ingredients
Answer: BLT

32A. Singer Diamond
Answer: NEIL

Down Answers

1D. Flower that blooms in fall
Answer: ASTER

2D. Put a hex on
Answer: CURSE

3D. Home of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Answer: EGYPT

4D. Animal with a hard head
Answer: RAM

5D. Analyzes ... or how to describe the circled bones in the 1st and 8th columns of this puzzle?
Answer: BREAKSDOWN

6D. "Sweet!"
Answer: COOL

7D. Umpire's call with arms stretched out horizontally
Answer: SAFE

8D. Far from certain
Answer: IFFY

15D. "Allez ___ Bleus!" (French sports rallying cry)
Answer: LES

17D. Battery for a wireless mouse, perhaps
Answer: AAA

19D. Savory taste
Answer: UMAMI

20D. Certain public artwork
Answer: MURAL

21D. Garden of Adam and Eve
Answer: EDEN

22D. Like an arm that's asleep
Answer: NUMB

23D. Shape of a rugby ball
Answer: OVAL

24D. Spot to shop
Answer: MART

28D. Weed removal tool
Answer: HOE

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 5D, BREAKS DOWN, defines the puzzle because it means “analyzes” while also describing how STERNUM and FEMUR are split into circled pieces in the first and eighth columns. The grammatical reading and the skeletal reading lock together cleanly.

Wordplay Winner: BREAKS DOWN wins the wordplay prize by turning an ordinary synonym for “analyzes” into a literal instruction for reading the divided bone names.

Quick Fill: BLT was the fastest confident fill because its ingredient-based clue leaves no slack, and it fixes the final crossing letters of NUMB, OVAL, and MART.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank the unmistakable short entries first. BLT and CSI provide clean crossing support without forcing you to untangle the revealer immediately.

When a long clue signals two definitions, solve the plain definition before decoding the gimmick. Here, treating “analyzes” as the direct route to BREAKS DOWN makes the bone pattern much easier to recognize.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid treated solvers fairly, with sturdy trivia around one memorable reveal. BREAKS DOWN supplied the satisfying final click.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1890, and sets a compact but thorny challenge built around an uncommon spelling shape. Streak protectors and newcomers alike are welcome to work through the clues.

The Basics (For New Players)

Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.

Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1890 awaits.

The Letter Rundown

Today's puzzle breaks down like this:

Vowel Count: 1 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 4 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
Letter Rarity: Mostly common letters, with P the least frequent of the set

The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)

We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.

Level 1 (The Vibe): Think of something equally at home in open water and on a dinner plate.

Level 2 (The Category): This noun names an edible marine creature commonly associated with seafood dishes.

Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with P, ends with N.

Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

Level 5 (The Giveaway): It is a small, long-bodied shellfish closely associated with shrimp.

Quick-Reference Clues

First Letter: P

Last Letter: N

Vowels Present: A

Double Letters: No

Rhymes With: DAWN, DRAWN, LAWN

Today's Wordle Answer

Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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The answer to Wordle #1890 is: PRAWN

Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer

PRAWN is a noun for a long-bodied edible crustacean resembling a shrimp. You might order prawns in garlic sauce, add them to pasta, or spot them in a coastal market.

Origins: PRAWN entered English in the late Middle English period, with the earlier form prane. Its deeper origin is unknown.

Word Family: prawns, prawning

Fun Fact: Everyday usage does not draw one universal boundary between prawns and shrimp, since the labels vary by region and culinary tradition. That familiar meaning paired with a less routine spelling shape makes the word an effective Wordle answer.

The Streak Saver Rating

This earns a 4 out of 5 for difficulty, with a word-family trap as the main factor. Its four consonants, single central vowel, and five distinct letters create the tight _RAWN pattern, where several valid words compete for the opening slot.

Once _RAWN appears, a solver can burn guesses cycling through BRAWN, DRAWN, and PRAWN. A probe such as BIPED checks all three competing initial consonants in one move and prevents a costly guess-by-guess search.

What This Puzzle Teaches

When four positions are settled but several answers remain, stop guessing inside the pattern and play a probe that tests the competing letters together. That discipline preserves guesses whenever tomorrow's grid produces another crowded word family.

Tomorrow's Reset

Puzzle #1891 drops at midnight in your timezone, Saturday handing the streak over to a fresh board.

PRAWN rewards the solver who recognizes when to probe instead of cycle. How did your solve go?

See you at midnight for the next challenge.

The Saturday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1168, serving up a grid that rewards practical know-how, produce vocabulary, outdoor familiarity, and a sharp eye for entertainment wordplay.

What Makes Connections Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1168:

BITTER | SPICE | MEAN | WINTER
HAMMER | CONE | PLANE | JET
GOLDEN | SAW | MIST | MUSK
GILMORE | CHISEL | WATER | SHOWER

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about the sturdy handheld equipment used to shape and assemble raw material in a workshop.

Green Category Clue: Head to the produce aisle and consider varieties from one sprawling plant family.

Blue Category Hint: Picture adjusting an outdoor nozzle and cycling through its different spray patterns.

Purple Category Teaser: Each entry can come before the same plural noun in a familiar entertainment name.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Carpentry Tools): CHISEL, HAMMER, PLANE, SAW

CHISEL, HAMMER, PLANE, and SAW are CARPENTRY TOOLS, covering cutting, striking, carving, and smoothing work.

PLANE creates the clearest decoy because JET also points toward aviation, but JET belongs with the nozzle patterns.

Green (Kinds Of Melon): BITTER, MUSK, WATER, WINTER

BITTER, MUSK, WATER, and WINTER form KINDS OF MELON: bitter melon, muskmelon, watermelon, and winter melon.

WATER is the deliberate tug toward SHOWER, MIST, and JET, while GOLDEN offers another produce-flavored distraction from the final wordplay set.

Blue (Garden Hose Settings): CONE, JET, MIST, SHOWER

CONE, JET, MIST, and SHOWER are GARDEN HOSE SETTINGS, each describing a distinct pattern or delivery of spray from an adjustable nozzle.

JET pairs temptingly with PLANE, and SHOWER naturally attracts WATER, so this group becomes cleaner once the workshop and produce sets are separated.

Purple (___ Girls Of Pop Culture): GILMORE, GOLDEN, MEAN, SPICE

GILMORE, GOLDEN, MEAN, and SPICE each open a pop-culture name ending in Girls: Gilmore Girls, The Golden Girls, Mean Girls, and the Spice Girls.

The trick hides because the four fragments span television, film, and music instead of pointing to a single medium.

The Verdict

The workshop set should fall first, with CHISEL, HAMMER, and SAW providing a firm core before PLANE joins them.

The real trap runs through WATER and GOLDEN, since both can draw attention toward produce while WATER also leans toward SHOWER and MIST.

The purple set decides the clean finish because recognizing the shared Girls ending frees GOLDEN from the produce decoy and locks four entertainment names into place.

Reset and Repeat

Today's best flourish is the cross-medium Girls construction, especially the way GOLDEN disguises itself beside the produce terms. Reset the grid tomorrow and look for another shared ending hiding across unrelated corners of culture.

For now, puzzle #1168 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

The Saturday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #698, serving up a grid that moves from everyday language to game-day details, regional club lore, and a crisp letter-shift finish.

What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #698:

BEACH | BAY | BEAN BAG | GALAXY
SIESTA | KEY | FLAG | GRANGE
PIVOTAL | WAVE | HOSE | WHISTLE
INDISPENSABLE | COIN | EARTHQUAKES | VITAL

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Step away from sports for a moment and listen for a shared tone in everyday conversation.

Green Category Clue: Picture the small objects that help one person keep a game organized from beginning to end.

Blue Category Hint: Shift your attention from individual athletes to names used on the professional side of the sport.

Purple Category Teaser: Treat each entry as a near miss, then test whether changing its opening letter unlocks a familiar sports term.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Important): INDISPENSABLE, KEY, PIVOTAL, VITAL

KEY, VITAL, PIVOTAL, and INDISPENSABLE all describe something IMPORTANT.

KEY is the mild red herring because it also reads as a physical object, while the other three immediately sound descriptive.

Green (Accessories For A Football Referee): BEAN BAG, COIN, FLAG, WHISTLE

FLAG, WHISTLE, COIN, and BEAN BAG are ACCESSORIES FOR A FOOTBALL REFEREE.

The flag signals an infraction, the whistle controls play, the coin handles the opening toss, and the bean bag marks a relevant spot on the field. COIN can drift toward KEY as another pocket-sized object, but the officiating context settles the group.

Blue (California Soccer Teams): BAY, EARTHQUAKES, GALAXY, WAVE

BAY, WAVE, GALAXY, and EARTHQUAKES identify CALIFORNIA SOCCER TEAMS.

They point to Bay FC, San Diego Wave FC, LA Galaxy, and the San Jose Earthquakes. BAY and WAVE create the strongest red-herring pull toward BEACH, which belongs to the wordplay group instead.

Purple (College Football Bowl Games, With The First Letter Changed): BEACH, GRANGE, HOSE, SIESTA

SIESTA, HOSE, BEACH, and GRANGE become college football bowl games when their first letters change: Fiesta, Rose, Peach, and Orange.

BEACH is the craftiest decoy because its coastal meaning aligns naturally with BAY and WAVE before the letter substitution exposes the intended pattern.

The Verdict

The synonym set should fall first because its four entries share the cleanest relationship.

The real trap lives among BAY, WAVE, and BEACH, whose coastal imagery encourages a convincing but incorrect grouping.

The purple group is the streak-decider, since recognizing one altered bowl name is only the start and all four substitutions must click.

Reset and Repeat

Today’s best trick was hiding Peach Bowl behind BEACH while BAY and WAVE supplied perfect cover. Reset the board and come back tomorrow for another round.

For now, puzzle #698 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's Extreme Quordle lands with puzzle #754, and brings a sharp mix of familiar ideas, specialized vocabulary, and deceptive repetition. Welcome back, and settle in for a demanding four-board challenge.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 8 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the tighter daily format with more unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think campus traditions meeting the ancient Mediterranean world.

The Category: This noun names a symbol with both scholarly and social-organization contexts.

The Boundaries: Starts with K, ends with A.

The Structure: A repeats in positions 2 and 5; P repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: It is one member of the classical Greek writing system, with a name also used by college organizations.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture tropical water with a narrow strip of land encircling a calm center.

The Category: This noun belongs to the geographical territory of coral formations and ocean islands.

The Boundaries: Starts with A, ends with L.

The Structure: L repeats in positions 4 and 5

The Giveaway: It is a low, ring-shaped coral island that surrounds a lagoon.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of someone whose attention remains fixed on a distant or fascinating sight.

The Category: This countable noun describes a person defined by sustained, attentive looking.

The Boundaries: Starts with G, ends with R.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: It means a person who looks steadily and intently at something.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think garden boundaries on one side and cautious financial protection on the other.

The Category: This can be a noun or a verb, covering either a physical barrier or an effort to reduce risk.

The Boundaries: Starts with H, ends with E.

The Structure: E repeats in positions 2 and 5

The Giveaway: It is a line of closely planted shrubs, or an action taken to offset a possible loss.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: K | Last Letter: A

Word 2 First Letter: A | Last Letter: L

Word 3 First Letter: G | Last Letter: R

Word 4 First Letter: H | Last Letter: E

Today's Extreme Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): KAPPA
Word 2 (Top-Right): ATOLL
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): GAZER
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): HEDGE

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

KAPPA: KAPPA is a noun naming the tenth character of the Greek alphabet. In everyday English, it appears most visibly in the names of fraternities, sororities, and other Greek-letter organizations.

ATOLL: ATOLL is a noun for a ring-shaped coral island or reef surrounding a lagoon. It commonly appears in descriptions of low-lying tropical islands and marine geography.

GAZER: GAZER is a countable noun meaning someone who looks steadily or intently. Everyday usage often gives it a dreamy or absorbed tone, especially when describing someone watching the sky or a distant view.

HEDGE: HEDGE works as both a noun and a verb, naming a shrub barrier or the act of limiting exposure to risk. The familiar expression “hedge your bets” uses the financial and strategic sense.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 4 out of 5. KAPPA is the hardest answer because its specialized meaning combines with two separate repeated characters, while HEDGE is the easiest thanks to its familiar garden and risk-management senses.

ATOLL conceals a doubled ending, HEDGE repeats its vowel, and GAZER carries an uncommon consonant despite using five distinct characters. Those traps make incomplete color information especially costly under the eight-guess limit.

Strategic Insights

Prioritize early coverage of the three vowels and the quartet’s less routine consonants before spending a guess on repetition. That approach exposes GAZER’s distinctive inventory while preserving room to resolve the doubled characters elsewhere.

Three answers contain repeats: KAPPA repeats two different characters, ATOLL doubles its ending, and HEDGE repeats its vowel. GAZER alone uses five distinct characters, while A is shared by KAPPA, ATOLL, and GAZER, and E and G are shared by GAZER and HEDGE.

Tomorrow's Reset

Reset the boards, clear the repeated-character traps from your head, and come back for the next four-word challenge.

Extreme puzzle #755 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Chill Quordle lands with puzzle #754, and the four entries mix familiar everyday language with one less routine occupational noun. Welcome in, the board rewards broad vocabulary and careful elimination.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 12 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the roomier daily format with fewer unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think compassion, forgiveness, and kindness when someone has the power to punish.

The Category: This noun belongs to the territory of leniency and humane treatment.

The Boundaries: Starts with M, ends with Y.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 2.

The Giveaway: It is compassion shown toward someone who could instead receive punishment or harm.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Last night, the day ended and consciousness gave way to rest.

The Category: This past-tense verb describes being at rest and unconscious.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It means having entered and remained in the natural resting state that restores the body.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a freshly honed kitchen tool with a clean, precise edge.

The Category: This adjective describes keen edges, pointed forms, or quick and precise perception.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with P.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It describes something able to cut cleanly, or a mind that notices details quickly.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think paperwork, submitted records, and the person responsible for putting them in order.

The Category: This noun identifies a person who submits, stores, or organizes documents.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with R.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: It is someone who formally submits a document or places records into an organized system.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: M | Last Letter: Y

Word 2 First Letter: S | Last Letter: T

Word 3 First Letter: S | Last Letter: P

Word 4 First Letter: F | Last Letter: R

Today's Chill Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): MERCY
Word 2 (Top-Right): SLEPT
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): SHARP
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): FILER

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

MERCY: MERCY is a noun meaning compassion or leniency toward someone in distress or subject to punishment. In everyday speech, it appears in phrases about showing kindness, asking for leniency, or ending discomfort.

SLEPT: SLEPT is the past tense and past participle of the verb sleep, meaning to have rested in a state of reduced consciousness. It commonly reports the quality, duration, or location of a previous night's rest.

SHARP: SHARP is an adjective meaning keen-edged, pointed, clearly defined, or mentally quick. Everyday usage stretches naturally from knives and images to pain, turns, clothing, and alert thinking.

FILER: FILER is a noun for a person who files documents, records, or a formal submission. It often appears in tax, legal, and administrative contexts, where the particular person submitting paperwork matters.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3 out of 5, with FILER the hardest because its occupational sense is less immediate than the other entries. Its two vowels also distinguish it from the three consonant-heavy answers.

SHARP is the easiest thanks to its concrete core meaning and familiar spelling. SLEPT can still stall the board because its dense consonant sequence leaves several placements to resolve, while MERCY ends in Y, a letter counted here among its four consonants even though it can carry a vowel sound elsewhere.

Strategic Insights

Open with coverage that tests A, E, and I alongside high-value consonants such as S, L, R, and P. That spread touches every answer efficiently before you commit guesses to individual boards.

None of the four answers repeats a letter internally, but the quartet shares several across boards. SLEPT and SHARP share S and P, while E appears in MERCY, SLEPT, and FILER, and R appears in MERCY, SHARP, and FILER.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the board, reset your instincts, and come back for the next four-word challenge.

Chill puzzle #755 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Puzzle #902). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "Peak Americana"

What It Really Means

The prompt points to names used for several major U.S. chains of peaks.

Think About...

• Think U.S. geography at high elevation.
• Look for labels shared by natural features and everyday language.
• Picture an atlas filled with long chains of rugged summits.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Left to right across the board

Letter Count: 13 letters

Starting Zone: Row 8, letter 1

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): The spanning entry names the geographic feature that unites all six answers.

Hint 2 (Warmer): It is the term for a long, connected series of high summits.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is M, last letter is E

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MOUNTAINRANGE

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: Think of water dropping in stages.

Closer: A series of waterfalls shares this name.

Letter Clue: Starts with C, 7 letters total

Answer

CASCADE

Word 2

Vague: A color closely associated with fresh leaves.

Closer: The hue sits between yellow and blue on the color wheel.

Letter Clue: Starts with G, 5 letters total

Answer

GREEN

Word 3

Vague: Covered with loose or exposed stone.

Closer: This adjective describes an uneven, stone-strewn landscape.

Letter Clue: Starts with R, 5 letters total

Answer

ROCKY

Word 4

Vague: A jagged profile made from repeated sharp points.

Closer: Picture the repeated triangular edge of a carpenter's cutting tool.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total

Answer

SAWTOOTH

Word 5

Vague: Hazy, with a muted veil in the air.

Closer: This adjective describes the look and scent produced by a wood fire.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total

Answer

SMOKY

Word 6

Vague: The palest neutral color.

Closer: It is the color of fresh snow.

Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total

Answer

WHITE

Full Answers

Spangram: MOUNTAINRANGE

Theme Words:

• CASCADE
• GREEN
• ROCKY
• SAWTOOTH
• SMOKY
• WHITE

Puzzle Debrief

Difficulty Rating: Medium, because familiar words are serving as shortened geographic names.

Trickiest Word: SAWTOOTH is the likeliest stall, since its everyday meaning points to a serrated shape before its geographic use comes into focus.

Our Take: The MOUNTAIN RANGE spangram cleanly explains why CASCADE, GREEN, ROCKY, SAWTOOTH, SMOKY, and WHITE belong together. The mix of colors, physical descriptions, and familiar nouns gives the list useful misdirection while keeping the final connection crisp.

Today's Classic Quordle lands with puzzle #1671, and it pairs familiar everyday ideas with a few spelling turns that reward careful coverage. Welcome back, settle in and give all four corners a steady look.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 9 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the original daily format. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think pouring, serving, and directing a flowing substance exactly where it needs to go.

The Category: This can be a noun for a functional projection or a verb connected with sending something forth.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: It is a projecting outlet through which liquid can pour from a container.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Hair styling, ropework, and decorative crafts all belong in this hint's territory.

The Category: This can be a noun for an interwoven structure or a verb for making one.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with D.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: To form it, several strands are crossed over one another in a repeating pattern.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think sudden brightness, quick appearances, and moments that vanish almost as soon as they arrive.

The Category: This works as a noun or verb in the territory of brief light, speed, and abrupt display.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with H.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It is a very brief burst of light or a momentary appearance.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: The weather is restless enough to tug at hats, branches, and umbrellas.

The Category: This is an adjective for weather marked by uneven, forceful wind.

The Boundaries: Starts with G, ends with Y.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 2.

The Giveaway: It describes conditions with sudden, strong bursts of wind.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: S | Last Letter: T

Word 2 First Letter: B | Last Letter: D

Word 3 First Letter: F | Last Letter: H

Word 4 First Letter: G | Last Letter: Y

Today's Classic Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): SPOUT
Word 2 (Top-Right): BRAID
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): FLASH
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): GUSTY

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

SPOUT: SPOUT is a noun for a projecting outlet or a verb meaning to discharge something in a stream. In everyday use, it often describes the pouring part of a kettle or the forceful release of liquid.

BRAID: BRAID is a noun for interwoven strands and a verb meaning to weave strands together. It appears naturally in discussions of hair, rope, fabric, and decorative craftwork.

FLASH: FLASH is a noun or verb for a sudden brief burst of light or a swift appearance. Everyday uses range from camera lighting and lightning to news updates and fleeting displays.

GUSTY: GUSTY is an adjective describing weather with sudden strong bursts of wind. It is a practical forecast word when outdoor conditions are changeable rather than steadily windy.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3 out of 5, with familiar vocabulary offset by several tight spelling neighborhoods.

SPOUT is the hardest answer because its adjacent vowels and consonant frame leave tempting alternatives such as STOUT, SCOUT, and SHOUT.

FLASH is the easiest answer, since its familiar definition and distinctive consonant structure give it a clear identity once a few placements turn green.

Strategic Insights

Use the opening guesses to cover fresh consonants while sampling the core vowels, because this quartet spreads its answers across a broad set of distinct symbols. With no internal repeats in any answer, early double-letter testing offers little value here.

The real overlap is selective: S appears in SPOUT, FLASH, and GUSTY, while A links BRAID with FLASH, and U and T link SPOUT with GUSTY. Those shared letters can turn one informative guess into progress on several boards.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid, enjoy the four solved corners, and come back for the next board.

Classic puzzle #1672 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia, compact wordplay, and a visual gimmick at the center. Settle in for a grid that rewards reading every clue literally.

How The Midi Works

The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.

New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 9x9

Total Clues: 33 (16 Across, 17 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 15A is the trickiest clue because its fill breaks the usual alphabetic pattern and depends on the instruction in parentheses.

Gimme Clue: 12A is the most direct gimme, since the Sesame Street description points to a singular red Muppet.

Theme Spotted: "Solid Lineup"

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. TikTok and Twitch
Hint: Think of the digital platforms where creators broadcast short videos and live streams. Four letters, starts with A.

5A. Associations, for short
Hint: Use the standard clipped form for associations. Four letters, starts with O.

9A. Word meaning bland that shares the first three letters of "bland"
Hint: Follow the clue's shared-letter instruction, then choose a synonym for dull. Four letters, starts with B.

10A. Wander about
Hint: Think of moving aimlessly with no fixed destination. Four letters, starts with R.

11A. Attract with bait
Hint: The verb describes what bait does when it draws in a target. Four letters, starts with L.

12A. Furry red resident of Sesame Street
Hint: Identify Sesame Street's furry red Muppet with a high, bright voice. Four letters, starts with E.

13A. Superlative suffix
Hint: This ending turns an adjective into its superlative form. Three letters, starts with E.

14A. A flamingo often stands on just one
Hint: Name the limb a flamingo lifts while balancing. Three letters, starts with L.

15A. Solid-colored items used in 29-Across (number them in order!)
Hint: Picture the solid-colored billiard balls arranged by their printed values. Seven letters, starts with 1.

19A. Vehicle one might "catch"
Hint: Think of public transit that can be caught at a stop. Three letters, starts with B.

20A. "Ciao for now!"
Hint: Use a light, repeated-syllable farewell matching the tone of ciao. Four letters, starts with T.

23A. Big brass instrument
Hint: Think of the deep-voiced brass instrument with a broad bell and coiled tubing. Four letters, starts with T.

27A. One who's hero-worshiped
Hint: The clue seeks a person treated as an object of hero worship. Four letters, starts with I.

28A. Admiring from ___
Hint: Complete the phrase with a word meaning from a great distance. Four letters, starts with A.

29A. Game in which you might sink this puzzle's circled squares
Hint: Name the cue sport in which balls are struck into pockets. Four letters, starts with P.

30A. Capital to which "all roads lead"
Hint: Think of the Italian capital invoked by the roads proverb. Four letters, starts with R.

Down Hints

1D. In a good position (to)
Hint: The phrase means ready and in a sound position to act. Four letters, starts with A.

2D. Unnamed guest on an R.S.V.P., say
Hint: Use the RSVP shorthand for an unnamed companion. Five letters, starts with P.

3D. Sequel
Hint: Think of the follow-up installment after the original. Five letters, starts with P.

4D. That lady
Hint: Supply the feminine singular pronoun indicated by "that lady." Three letters, starts with S.

5D. Mine cart contents
Hint: Picture the raw mineral hauled out in a mine cart. Three letters, starts with O.

6D. Go from Free Parking to Atlantic Avenue, in Monopoly
Hint: Track the Monopoly move from Free Parking to Atlantic Avenue and translate it into a die action. Five letters, starts with R.

7D. Dramatic end to the World Series
Hint: Think of the deciding contest that caps a tied World Series. Five letters, starts with G.

8D. Urban air pollution
Hint: Name the dirty atmospheric haze associated with city air. Four letters, starts with S.

16D. Golf match format for a trio
Hint: Think of the golf format in which each member of a trio plays a separate ball. Five letters, starts with T.

17D. Prince's "I Would Die ___"
Hint: Complete Prince's song title with the compact phrase directed at another person. Two letters, starts with F.

18D. Top-rated, as a hotel or restaurant
Hint: Think of the top familiar rating applied to an elite hotel or restaurant. Five letters, starts with F.

20D. Little piece of advice
Hint: The clue seeks a compact nugget of practical guidance. Three letters, starts with T.

21D. Big fuss about nothing
Hint: Think of needless commotion over a trivial matter. Three letters, starts with A.

22D. Also
Hint: Use a short synonym for "as well." Three letters, starts with T.

24D. Mystery in the sky, in brief
Hint: Supply the standard abbreviation for an unidentified craft overhead. Three letters, starts with U.

25D. Noise made by a collision
Hint: Think of a comic-book collision sound effect. Three letters, starts with B.

26D. "___ we having fun yet?"
Hint: Insert the linking verb that completes the familiar question. Three letters, starts with A.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. TikTok and Twitch
Answer: APPS

5A. Associations, for short
Answer: ORGS

9A. Word meaning bland that shares the first three letters of "bland"
Answer: BLAH

10A. Wander about
Answer: ROAM

11A. Attract with bait
Answer: LURE

12A. Furry red resident of Sesame Street
Answer: ELMO

13A. Superlative suffix
Answer: EST

14A. A flamingo often stands on just one
Answer: LEG

15A. Solid-colored items used in 29-Across (number them in order!)
Answer: 1234567

19A. Vehicle one might "catch"
Answer: BUS

20A. "Ciao for now!"
Answer: TATA

23A. Big brass instrument
Answer: TUBA

27A. One who's hero-worshiped
Answer: IDOL

28A. Admiring from ___
Answer: AFAR

29A. Game in which you might sink this puzzle's circled squares
Answer: POOL

30A. Capital to which "all roads lead"
Answer: ROME

Down Answers

1D. In a good position (to)
Answer: ABLE

2D. Unnamed guest on an R.S.V.P., say
Answer: PLUSO

3D. Sequel
Answer: PARTT

4D. That lady
Answer: SHE

5D. Mine cart contents
Answer: ORE

6D. Go from Free Parking to Atlantic Avenue, in Monopoly
Answer: ROLLS

7D. Dramatic end to the World Series
Answer: GAMES

8D. Urban air pollution
Answer: SMOG

16D. Golf match format for a trio
Answer: TBALL

17D. Prince's "I Would Die ___"
Answer: FU

18D. Top-rated, as a hotel or restaurant
Answer: FSTAR

20D. Little piece of advice
Answer: TIP

21D. Big fuss about nothing
Answer: ADO

22D. Also
Answer: TOO

24D. Mystery in the sky, in brief
Answer: UFO

25D. Noise made by a collision
Answer: BAM

26D. "___ we having fun yet?"
Answer: ARE

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 15A, 1234567, defines the puzzle because the circled center row is a literal sequence, while every digit completes a crossing Down entry. The device links PLUS 1, PART 2, 3 BALL, 4 U, 5 STAR, ROLL 6, and GAME 7 in one clean sweep.

Wordplay Winner: 17D is the wordplay winner: the grid renders the completion as 4 U, using the circled digit as a sound-alike word in Prince's title. That tiny substitution captures the entire gimmick.

Quick Fill: ELMO was the fastest confident fill because the Sesame Street clue is direct, and it anchors the northeast through ORE, ROLLS, GAMES, and SMOG.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank clean trivia fills such as ELMO and ROME, then use their crossings to settle compact entries such as ORE and UFO.

When a digit sits inside an entry, read it aloud before treating it as an obstacle. Here, that immediately clarifies PLUS 1, PART 2, and 3 BALL.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid played fair, using direct outer fill to support an inventive center. Its 1234567 reveal turned an ordinary-looking sequence into the day's defining answer.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans into crisp trivia, conversational clues, and a playful bit of visual wordplay. Settle in for a lively grid with satisfying crossings.

How The Mini Works

The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.

New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 7x7

Total Clues: 18 (7 Across, 11 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 9A is the trickiest clue because its blanks are part of the wordplay, not spaces to fill directly.

Gimme Clue: 1D is the clearest gimme, drawing on a signature exclamation from an unmistakable animated character.

Theme Spotted: None today, straight trivia and wordplay.

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Gets right down to business
Hint: For 1A, think of an expression for beginning a task immediately and energetically. Seven letters, starts with D.

8A. Japanese for "folding paper"
Hint: For 8A, identify the Japanese art created by folding sheets into decorative forms. Seven letters, starts with O.

9A. _a_er and _encil game
Hint: For 9A, the missing marks point toward a classic paper-and-pencil guessing game. Seven letters, starts with H.

10A. "Dee-lish!"
Hint: For 10A, supply the delighted reaction someone gives after tasting something delicious. Three letters, starts with Y.

11A. Specialized (in), as in college
Hint: For 11A, use the past-tense verb describing a student's concentration in a particular college subject. Seven letters, starts with M.

15A. Small hair on which mascara is applied
Hint: For 15A, picture a single fine hair along the lid where mascara is brushed. Seven letters, starts with E.

16A. Sloppy smooch
Hint: For 16A, think of an affectionate but distinctly drooly smooch. Seven letters, starts with W.

Down Hints

1D. Homer Simpson's shout
Hint: For 1D, recall the annoyed exclamation associated with the bumbling father from Springfield. Three letters, starts with D.

2D. Roth ___
Hint: For 2D, the blank completes the name of a tax-advantaged retirement account. Three letters, starts with I.

3D. Actor Diesel of the "Fast & Furious" films
Hint: For 3D, identify the action star who plays Dominic Toretto in the referenced film franchise. Three letters, starts with V.

4D. "Sunny" part of a breakfast order
Hint: For 4D, focus on the golden center of a sunny-side-up breakfast order. Seven letters, starts with E.

5D. Warrior with a katana
Hint: For 5D, think of the historical Japanese warrior class closely associated with the katana. Seven letters, starts with S.

6D. "Sorry, my life is all over the place right now"
Hint: For 6D, enter the candid self-description of someone whose life feels completely disorganized. Seven letters, starts with I.

7D. Trent Reznor's rock band, to fans
Hint: For 7D, use the initials fans apply to Trent Reznor's industrial rock project. Three letters, starts with N.

11D. Call from a kitten
Hint: For 11D, imitate the soft, high-pitched call of a kitten. Three letters, starts with M.

12D. Sailor's assent
Hint: For 12D, give the traditional nautical form of yes. Three letters, starts with A.

13D. F-16 Fighting Falcon, e.g.
Hint: For 13D, name the broad aircraft category represented by the Fighting Falcon. Three letters, starts with J.

14D. Nonfielding baseball players, for short
Hint: For 14D, use the scorebook abbreviation for designated hitters. Three letters, starts with D.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Gets right down to business
Answer: DIVESIN

8A. Japanese for "folding paper"
Answer: ORIGAMI

9A. _a_er and _encil game
Answer: HANGMAN

10A. "Dee-lish!"
Answer: YUM

11A. Specialized (in), as in college
Answer: MAJORED

15A. Small hair on which mascara is applied
Answer: EYELASH

16A. Sloppy smooch
Answer: WETKISS

Down Answers

1D. Homer Simpson's shout
Answer: DOH

2D. Roth ___
Answer: IRA

3D. Actor Diesel of the "Fast & Furious" films
Answer: VIN

4D. "Sunny" part of a breakfast order
Answer: EGGYOLK

5D. Warrior with a katana
Answer: SAMURAI

6D. "Sorry, my life is all over the place right now"
Answer: IMAMESS

7D. Trent Reznor's rock band, to fans
Answer: NIN

11D. Call from a kitten
Answer: MEW

12D. Sailor's assent
Answer: AYE

13D. F-16 Fighting Falcon, e.g.
Answer: JET

14D. Nonfielding baseball players, for short
Answer: DHS

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 9A, "_a_er and _encil game," paired with HANGMAN, defines the grid's playful side. The missing P's evoke incomplete words while the full clue describes the guessing game precisely.

Wordplay Winner: EGGYOLK wins the wordplay prize at 4D. Quotation marks around "Sunny" redirect the adjective toward a sunny-side-up breakfast and its golden center.

Quick Fill: DOH is the fastest confident fill because Homer Simpson's signature shout is immediate. It anchors the opening letters of DIVESIN, ORIGAMI, and HANGMAN.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank unmistakable references such as DOH and VIN first, then use those crossings to settle longer conversational entries like DIVESIN.

When punctuation looks unusual, treat it as construction material. The blanks in 9A explain HANGMAN more efficiently than a literal reading does.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid treated solvers fairly, pairing direct cultural references with just enough playful phrasing to create texture. HANGMAN supplied the sharpest payoff.

See you at the next grid.

The Friday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #697, serving up a grid that moves through athletics, career lore, precision competition, and slippery everyday meanings.

What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #697:

HIGH JUMP | NEW ENGLAND | BELICHICK | 12
CRICKET | RUSSELL | TAMPA BAY | 400 METERS
BUFFALO | MICHIGAN | JAVELIN | 501
BASEBALL | HAT BRIM | KILLER | POLE VAULT

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Look for entries that could share space on the same track-and-field program.

Green Category Clue: Trace the career landmarks and signature details attached to one star athlete.

Blue Category Hint: Some familiar sports terms take on a second life in a precision game.

Purple Category Teaser: One short name can point toward people, a place, or part of an everyday object.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Decathlon Events): 400 METERS, HIGH JUMP, JAVELIN, POLE VAULT

400 METERS, POLE VAULT, HIGH JUMP, and JAVELIN are all DECATHLON EVENTS.

400 METERS can tempt a number-led set beside 12 and 501, but its unit points back to the athletics group.

Green (Associated With Tom Brady): 12, MICHIGAN, NEW ENGLAND, TAMPA BAY

12, NEW ENGLAND, TAMPA BAY, and MICHIGAN are ASSOCIATED WITH TOM BRADY. The places trace his college and professional career, while 12 was his jersey number.

BELICHICK is the sharp red herring because his long coaching partnership with Brady makes him feel inseparable from this set.

Blue (Dart Games): 501, BASEBALL, CRICKET, KILLER

501, BASEBALL, CRICKET, and KILLER are all DART GAMES, each with its own scoring structure or target conditions.

BASEBALL and CRICKET disguise the connection particularly well because each reads first as a standalone field sport.

Purple (What "bill" Might Refer To): BELICHICK, BUFFALO, HAT BRIM, RUSSELL

BELICHICK, BUFFALO, HAT BRIM, and RUSSELL show WHAT "BILL" MIGHT REFER TO. They yield Bill Belichick, the Buffalo Bills, the bill of a hat, and Bill Russell.

The trick mixes proper names, a team name, and an object part, so the shared word shifts meaning across the group.

The Verdict

The athletics group is the cleanest first solve because its four disciplines form a concrete set.

The real trap is BELICHICK, whose Brady connection pulls strongly toward 12, NEW ENGLAND, TAMPA BAY, and MICHIGAN even though he belongs in purple.

Purple is the streak-decider because recognizing the different senses of Bill is harder than spotting the dart formats once BASEBALL and CRICKET are reconsidered.

Reset and Repeat

Tomorrow brings a fresh grid and another reset, but today's shifting uses of Bill are the trick worth carrying forward: when one word refuses a single meaning, test every sense it can hold.

For now, puzzle #697 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1889, and offers a fair-looking challenge with a sharp late-game fork. Whether you are protecting a streak or opening the grid for the first time, welcome in.

The Basics (For New Players)

Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.

Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1889 awaits.

The Letter Rundown

Today's puzzle breaks down like this:

Vowel Count: 2 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 3 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
Letter Rarity: All common letters

The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)

We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.

Level 1 (The Vibe): Think of a sign that reveals where something has been or helps you follow its path.

Level 2 (The Category): It works as both a noun and a verb, describing a small surviving sign or the act of following something back.

Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with T, ends with E.

Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 5.

Level 5 (The Giveaway): To follow the evidence back to its source, or the faint mark left behind by something.

Quick-Reference Clues

First Letter: T

Last Letter: E

Vowels Present: A, E

Double Letters: No

Rhymes With: BRACE, GRACE, PLACE

Today's Wordle Answer

Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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The answer to Wordle #1889 is: TRACE

Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer

trace means a small sign that something existed or happened, and as a verb it means to follow, discover, or copy a path or outline. You can trace a call to its source, trace a drawing onto paper, or find a trace of smoke in the air.

Origins: The word entered English through Old French, where related forms referred to tracks, marks, and the act of following or drawing a line. Its deeper root is the Latin verb trahere, meaning to pull or draw.

Word Family: traced, tracing, tracer, traceable

Fun Fact: The word shifts neatly among physical marks, investigative paths, and copied outlines. That range of meanings makes it familiar on sight, while its compact consonant arrangement gives the grid real bite.

The Streak Saver Rating

I rate this one 3 out of 5. The trap factor is the opening-letter fork created once R, A, C, and E lock into the final four positions, since BRACE, GRACE, and trace all remain ordinary candidates.

All five letters are unique, so duplicate-letter suspicion does not consume a turn, but the two vowels provide less separation than the consonant pattern suggests.

A solver can walk into the trap by preserving four confirmed ending letters and cycling through plausible initials one at a time. Before guesses run short, a probe such as BIGOT checks B, G, and T together, covering every live initial in that candidate set at once.

What This Puzzle Teaches

Four green tiles can still hide a dangerous fork when only the first position is open. Count the live candidates before committing, then spend a probe on several competing letters whenever the candidate list is larger than the guesses remaining.

Tomorrow's Reset

Puzzle #1890 drops at midnight in your timezone, Friday handing the streak over to a fresh board.

That was a crisp little exercise in resisting the four-green trap. How did trace treat your streak today?

See you at midnight for the next challenge.

The Friday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1167, serving up a grid that rewards a feel for basic biology, backstage language, familiar names, and flexible expressions.

What Makes Connections Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1167:

WIMPY | WHILE | SLEEP | GENERATION
LIFETIME | ACTION | OXYGEN | COMEBACK
SHOWTIME | KARATE | SUNDANCE | PLACES
WATER | BLUE MOON | CURTAIN UP | NUTRITION

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about the essentials that keep a living creature functioning from day to day.

Green Category Clue: Listen for short cues delivered just before something gets underway in front of an audience or camera.

Blue Category Hint: Look for four terms that can precede the same youthful plural noun in familiar names or expressions.

Purple Category Teaser: Try placing the same brief introductory phrase before four entries to create familiar expressions about rarity or long intervals.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Things Most Animals Need): NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, WATER

NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, and WATER are THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED. Each supports basic survival and healthy bodily function.

WATER can drift toward BLUE MOON through color and natural-world imagery, but the physiological connection is much more precise.

Green (Calls To Begin A Performance): ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES, SHOWTIME

ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES, and SHOWTIME are CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE. They cue filming, stage preparation, or the start of the event itself.

The entertainment vocabulary creates a strong decoy around SUNDANCE and KARATE, while LIFETIME and SHOWTIME also resemble television brands. The decisive link is that all four green entries can function as starting cues.

Blue (___ Kids): COMEBACK, KARATE, SUNDANCE, WIMPY

COMEBACK, KARATE, SUNDANCE, and WIMPY complete the pattern ___ KIDS. Adding KIDS after each entry produces the intended names or expressions.

KARATE and SUNDANCE encourage an entertainment-based grouping with ACTION or SHOWTIME, which makes the shared ending easier to miss.

Purple (Once In A ___): BLUE MOON, GENERATION, LIFETIME, WHILE

BLUE MOON, GENERATION, LIFETIME, and WHILE all follow ONCE IN A ___. The completed expressions are “once in a blue moon,” “once in a generation,” “once in a lifetime,” and “once in a while.”

LIFETIME is the sharpest crossover because it can sit beside SHOWTIME and SUNDANCE in a television-flavored decoy. Testing the full opening phrase exposes the cleaner structure.

The Verdict

Yellow should fall first because NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, and WATER form the grid’s most concrete set.

The real trap lives in the entertainment overlap among ACTION, SHOWTIME, SUNDANCE, KARATE, and LIFETIME. Those associations can blur the boundaries of the green, blue, and purple groups.

Purple is the streak-deciding group because its entries look unrelated until ONCE IN A supplies the common frame.

Reset and Repeat

The best finish is the ONCE IN A trick, which turns four different measures of rarity and duration into one clean pattern. Reset the grid instincts and come back tomorrow for another round.

For now, puzzle #1167 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, August 21, 2026 (Puzzle #901). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "Celebrate!"

What It Really Means

You are hunting for nouns that describe celebratory gatherings and the merriment surrounding them.

Think About...

• Loud, high-energy get-togethers.
• Polished evening occasions.
• Playful slang for social celebrations.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Left to right across the board

Letter Count: 11 letters

Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 3

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of an upbeat outlook built around enjoying every occasion.

Hint 2 (Warmer): The answer is a familiar saying that treats existence itself as one long celebration.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is Y

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LIFESAPARTY

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: A slang term for something especially energetic and excellent.

Closer: This slang label can describe a hard-hitting song or an exceptionally lively gathering.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total

Answer

BANGER

Word 2

Vague: A lively social gathering with an informal feel.

Closer: It is also a verb for striking something, but here it means a big celebratory event.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total

Answer

BASH

Word 3

Vague: The cheerful activity surrounding a special occasion.

Closer: Think decorations, merriment, and communal celebration, expressed as a singular noun.

Letter Clue: Starts with F, 9 letters total

Answer

FESTIVITY

Word 4

Vague: An especially wild, high-energy gathering.

Closer: This slang label fits an all-out gathering with loud music and little restraint.

Letter Clue: Starts with R, 5 letters total

Answer

RAGER

Word 5

Vague: A cheerful, informal get-together.

Closer: This is an old-fashioned, playful term for a lively social event.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 7 letters total

Answer

SHINDIG

Word 6

Vague: An elegant evening gathering.

Closer: Look for a French-derived term for a refined evening reception.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total

Answer

SOIREE

Full Answers

Spangram: LIFESAPARTY

Theme Words:

• BANGER
• BASH
• FESTIVITY
• RAGER
• SHINDIG
• SOIREE

Puzzle Debrief

Difficulty Rating: Medium, with familiar meanings disguised by several slang-heavy entries.

Trickiest Word: BANGER is the likeliest stumbling block because its strong association with an excellent song can obscure its gathering-related sense.

Our Take: LIFESAPARTY sets an exuberant tone across the grid, while BANGER, BASH, FESTIVITY, RAGER, SHINDIG, and SOIREE explore different registers of celebration. The mix ranges from refined to rowdy, making the theme coherent without making every answer feel interchangeable.

Today's Classic Quordle lands with puzzle #1670, and it brings a lively mix of rejection, delay, anatomy, and collective action. Settle in, trust the clues, and enjoy today's four-part challenge.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 9 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the original daily format. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a cold refusal rather than a gentle decline.

The Category: A verb in the territory of rejection and social dismissal.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with N.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: To reject someone or something with open contempt.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of momentum suddenly giving way to delay.

The Category: A verb or noun connected with halted progress, delay, or a small enclosed space.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with L.

The Structure: L repeats in positions 4 and 5

The Giveaway: To delay action or cause movement to stop, often to gain time.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think about the way sound or breathing can be shaped by the nose.

The Category: An adjective tied to anatomy, breathing, and vocal quality.

The Boundaries: Starts with N, ends with L.

The Structure: A repeats in positions 2 and 4

The Giveaway: Describing something related to the nose, especially a voice produced with noticeable airflow through it.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a tightly knit group riding out together on a mission.

The Category: A noun for an organized band of people, often associated with law enforcement and pursuit.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with E.

The Structure: S repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: A group assembled to help authorities pursue someone, or informally a close circle of companions.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: S | Last Letter: N

Word 2 First Letter: S | Last Letter: L

Word 3 First Letter: N | Last Letter: L

Word 4 First Letter: P | Last Letter: E

Today's Classic Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): SPURN
Word 2 (Top-Right): STALL
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): NASAL
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): POSSE

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

SPURN: SPURN is a verb meaning to reject someone or something with contempt. In everyday use, it often describes turning down an offer, advance, or person in a pointedly dismissive way.

STALL: STALL works as both a verb and a noun, referring to delaying progress or to a small enclosed compartment. Everyday phrases such as stalling for time usually use the verb sense.

NASAL: NASAL is an adjective meaning related to the nose. It commonly describes breathing, anatomy, medication, or a voice whose sound resonates noticeably through the nose.

POSSE: POSSE is a noun for a group assembled to assist law enforcement, especially in pursuing someone. Informally, it also refers to a close group of friends or associates.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3.5 out of 5, with familiar vocabulary complicated by three different doubled-letter patterns.

POSSE is the hardest answer because its law-enforcement sense is less routine and its doubled consonant can hide until late. STALL is the easiest, thanks to its familiar everyday meanings and recognizable ending.

NASAL adds a separated vowel repeat, while SPURN has only one vowel and no repeated characters. That contrast rewards checking duplicate possibilities without assuming every board follows the same structure.

Strategic Insights

Use the opening guesses to cover the quartet's four distinct vowels and its core consonants before spending a turn on duplicates. That broad pass creates useful evidence for every board while preserving room to test repeated characters later.

Every answer contains S, but the internal repetition changes by board: STALL doubles L, NASAL repeats A in separated positions, and POSSE doubles S, while SPURN uses five distinct characters.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid from your mind, and come back for the next fresh set of four words.

Classic puzzle #1671 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Chill Quordle lands with puzzle #753, and offers a friendly mix of concrete ideas, familiar actions, and two spelling traps built around repetition. Welcome, settle in, and enjoy working through the four grids.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 12 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the roomier daily format with fewer unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a bright presence that catches the eye.

The Category: This is primarily a verb connected with brightness and visibility, with a related noun use.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: To emit or reflect a clear, bright glow.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think about gaining temporary use of a home, vehicle, or other property under an agreement.

The Category: This can be a noun or a verb involving temporary rights to use property.

The Boundaries: Starts with L, ends with E.

The Structure: E repeats in positions 2 and 5

The Giveaway: An agreement that allows someone to use property for a set term in exchange for payment.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a circus performer using costume, movement, and comedy to entertain an audience.

The Category: This is a noun for a comic performer or, informally, a person behaving foolishly.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with N.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: A performer who entertains through jokes, exaggerated gestures, and playful physical comedy.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of something stiff, fixed, and unwilling to bend.

The Category: This is an adjective describing physical stiffness or strict inflexibility.

The Boundaries: Starts with R, ends with D.

The Structure: I repeats in positions 2 and 4

The Giveaway: Completely stiff or fixed, with no flexibility in form or approach.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: S | Last Letter: E

Word 2 First Letter: L | Last Letter: E

Word 3 First Letter: C | Last Letter: N

Word 4 First Letter: R | Last Letter: D

Today's Chill Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): SHINE
Word 2 (Top-Right): LEASE
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): CLOWN
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): RIGID

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

SHINE: SHINE is chiefly a verb meaning to give off or reflect light. In everyday use, it describes sunlight, lamps, polished surfaces, and people displaying confidence or skill.

LEASE: LEASE is both a noun and a verb, referring to an agreement for temporary use of property or the act of granting or taking that use. It appears routinely in discussions of apartments, cars, and commercial spaces.

CLOWN: CLOWN is a noun for a comic performer, especially one associated with circus entertainment. The word also appears as a verb in the everyday expression “clown around,” meaning to behave playfully or foolishly.

RIGID: RIGID is an adjective meaning stiff, fixed, or unable to bend. It also describes rules, schedules, and attitudes that allow little flexibility.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. The vocabulary is familiar, but two internal repetitions and several shared letters can slow clean elimination.

LEASE is the hardest answer because its repeated E is easy to undercount and its ending overlaps with other familiar words. CLOWN is the easiest once W appears, since its consonant-heavy structure narrows the field sharply.

Strategic Insights

The quartet contains 13 distinct letters, so early guesses using five unused letters provide efficient coverage before committing to one grid.

The repetition pattern is split cleanly: LEASE doubles E, RIGID doubles I, and SHINE and CLOWN use five unique letters each. Across the answers, SHINE shares S and E with LEASE, I with RIGID, and N with CLOWN, while LEASE and CLOWN share L.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid, reset your instincts, and come back for the next four-word board.

Chill puzzle #754 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Extreme Quordle lands with puzzle #753, and a familiar-looking quartet turns deceptively tight once the clues begin to separate. Welcome, settle in, and take the board one word at a time.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 8 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the tighter daily format with more unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think sudden damage, disorder, and the unhappy aftermath of a hard impact.

The Category: This word can be a noun or a verb, and it belongs to the territory of destruction and severe damage.

The Boundaries: Starts with W, ends with K.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It can mean badly damaging something or the ruined remains left after a serious collision.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a transaction from the receiving side rather than the sending side.

The Category: This is a noun from banking, billing, and other situations where money changes hands.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with E.

The Structure: E repeats in positions 4 and 5

The Giveaway: It names the person or organization designated to receive a payment.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Imagine standing at the last safe point before a dramatic drop or major change.

The Category: This noun describes an edge, especially one associated with danger or an approaching event.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with K.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It is the verge of something momentous, often a crisis, breakthrough, or steep descent.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Look to a tucked-away household space where boxes, keepsakes, and dust tend to gather.

The Category: This is a noun for a part of a building, specifically an upper storage or living space.

The Boundaries: Starts with A, ends with C.

The Structure: T repeats in positions 2 and 3

The Giveaway: It is the room or space directly beneath a building's roof.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: W | Last Letter: K

Word 2 First Letter: P | Last Letter: E

Word 3 First Letter: B | Last Letter: K

Word 4 First Letter: A | Last Letter: C

Today's Extreme Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): WRECK
Word 2 (Top-Right): PAYEE
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): BRINK
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): ATTIC

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

WRECK: WRECK functions as both a noun and a verb, meaning a ruined object or the act of severely damaging something. In everyday use, it applies naturally to vehicles, plans, and even a person's exhausted condition.

PAYEE: PAYEE is a noun for the person or organization receiving money. It appears regularly on checks, invoices, payment forms, and banking screens where the recipient must be identified.

BRINK: BRINK is a noun meaning an edge or the point immediately before a major event. Everyday phrases place someone or something on the brink of danger, success, collapse, or discovery.

ATTIC: ATTIC is a noun for the space directly beneath a roof. It commonly refers to a home's upper storage area, though a finished attic can also serve as a bedroom or office.

The Difficulty Rating

I rate this quartet 4 out of 5. PAYEE is the hardest because its repeated ending leaves fewer distinct clues, while BRINK is the easiest thanks to its familiar vocabulary and five distinct characters.

WRECK hides behind a dense consonant frame, PAYEE demands a doubled final vowel, and ATTIC requires adjacent repeated consonants. BRINK offers the cleanest spelling pattern, but its closeness to words such as drink and blink can still consume guesses.

Strategic Insights

Begin with a no-repeat probe covering several vowels and useful consonants, then prioritize the leaner vowel patterns in WRECK and BRINK before spending guesses on duplicate-heavy PAYEE and ATTIC. That sequence gathers broad information while preserving room to confirm repeated characters.

WRECK and BRINK share R in the second position and K at the end. The internal repeats occur elsewhere, PAYEE doubles E in its final two positions, while ATTIC doubles T in its second and third positions.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the board from your mind, and come back ready for the next four-word test.

Extreme puzzle #754 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans on crisp trivia, conversational language, and playful name-based wordplay. Settle in, the crossings reward a steady first pass.

How The Midi Works

The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.

New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 9x9

Total Clues: 30 (16 Across, 14 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 22A is the trickiest clue, since its punctuation asks you to compress a celebrity's name into initials before adding the pictured headwear.

Gimme Clue: 2D is the cleanest gimme, since the metric conversion points directly to a standard imperial unit.

Theme Spotted: "Hat Trick"

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. House hunter's bid
Hint: Think of the formal real-estate bid a prospective buyer submits to the seller. Five letters, starts with O.

6A. Hardly any
Hint: The clue wants an amount close to none. Three letters, starts with F.

9A. 2016 Disney film with Samoan song lyrics
Hint: Picture the Disney ocean adventure whose heroine sails with a demigod and whose songs include Samoan lyrics. Five letters, starts with M.

10A. It may be on the chopping block
Hint: Think of the woodcutting tool that belongs near a chopping block. Three letters, starts with A.

11A. Naomi Osaka's visor?
Hint: Read the tennis star's initials, then treat the visor literally in the punctuated-clue construction. Five letters, starts with N.

12A. "Told ya I was right"
Hint: Think of the brief triumphant retort used after events prove your point. Three letters, starts with S.

13A. Pair of celebs
Hint: The clue uses tabloid shorthand for a celebrity pair publicly coupled. Four letters, starts with I.

14A. Affliction for many a war vet, for short
Hint: Look for the familiar abbreviation for a trauma-related disorder associated with combat veterans. Four letters, starts with P.

15A. Mary Oliver's cloche?
Hint: Combine the poet's initials with the headwear named by the clue. Five letters, starts with M.

17A. Car enthusiasts, informally
Hint: Use the informal label for car devotees who obsess over engines and mechanical details. Nine letters, starts with G.

21A. Yiddish cries of dismay
Hint: Think of short Yiddish exclamations uttered when something goes wrong. Three letters, starts with O.

22A. Eva Longoria's beret?
Hint: Use the actor's initials, then add the headwear suggested by the clue. Five letters, starts with E.

23A. Boat that journeyed to Ararat, in the Bible
Hint: Think of Noah's great vessel bound for the mountain named in the clue. Three letters, starts with A.

24A. Justice Kagan
Hint: Identify the Supreme Court justice from the family name given. Five letters, starts with E.

25A. "___ Misérables"
Hint: Recall the French definite article that opens Victor Hugo's famous novel and its hit musical adaptation. Three letters, starts with L.

26A. Weather tracker's tool
Hint: Think of the weather instrument used to detect precipitation and track storm movement. Five letters, starts with R.

Down Hints

1D. Prefix with present or potent
Hint: The same all-encompassing prefix completes compounds meaning present everywhere and all-powerful. Four letters, starts with O.

2D. 0.3048 meters
Hint: Convert the metric measurement into the familiar imperial unit used for height and distance. Four letters, starts with F.

3D. Things worn by umpires and some superheroes
Hint: Think of protective coverings shared by an umpire behind home plate and a disguised comic-book hero. Nine letters, starts with F.

4D. Infatuate
Hint: A verb meaning to make someone fall deeply in love. Six letters, starts with E.

5D. Engage in a battle of words, perhaps?
Hint: Picture a verbal showdown delivered rhythmically, with rivals trading rhymed lines. Three letters, starts with R.

6D. Quick and action-packed
Hint: Look for an adjective describing a thriller that moves briskly and keeps the action coming. Nine letters, starts with F.

7D. Old flames
Hint: These old flames are past romantic partners. Four letters, starts with E.

8D. Unwanted garden growth
Hint: Name the unwanted plant pulled from a garden bed. Four letters, starts with W.

14D. Spanish rice dish
Hint: Think of the saffron-tinted Spanish rice dish traditionally cooked in a broad shallow pan. Six letters, starts with P.

16D. Sport that involves tumbling, jumping and stunting
Hint: The clue points to the competitive sideline discipline built from chants, tumbling, jumps, and stunts. Five letters, starts with C.

17D. "A ___ without a plan is just a wish" (quote attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Hint: The missing noun is an objective that becomes real through planning. Four letters, starts with G.

18D. Jane in a Brontë novel
Hint: Recall the Charlotte Brontë heroine whose first name is Jane. Four letters, starts with E.

19D. Comedian Carvey
Hint: Think of the Saturday Night Live comedian known for the Church Lady and Wayne's World. Four letters, starts with D.

20D. Fight lightly
Hint: Think of light practice fighting rather than full combat. Four letters, starts with S.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. House hunter's bid
Answer: OFFER

6A. Hardly any
Answer: FEW

9A. 2016 Disney film with Samoan song lyrics
Answer: MOANA

10A. It may be on the chopping block
Answer: AXE

11A. Naomi Osaka's visor?
Answer: NOCAP

12A. "Told ya I was right"
Answer: SEE

13A. Pair of celebs
Answer: ITEM

14A. Affliction for many a war vet, for short
Answer: PTSD

15A. Mary Oliver's cloche?
Answer: MOCAP

17A. Car enthusiasts, informally
Answer: GEARHEADS

21A. Yiddish cries of dismay
Answer: OYS

22A. Eva Longoria's beret?
Answer: ELCAP

23A. Boat that journeyed to Ararat, in the Bible
Answer: ARK

24A. Justice Kagan
Answer: ELENA

25A. "___ Misérables"
Answer: LES

26A. Weather tracker's tool
Answer: RADAR

Down Answers

1D. Prefix with present or potent
Answer: OMNI

2D. 0.3048 meters
Answer: FOOT

3D. Things worn by umpires and some superheroes
Answer: FACEMASKS

4D. Infatuate
Answer: ENAMOR

5D. Engage in a battle of words, perhaps?
Answer: RAP

6D. Quick and action-packed
Answer: FASTPACED

7D. Old flames
Answer: EXES

8D. Unwanted garden growth
Answer: WEED

14D. Spanish rice dish
Answer: PAELLA

16D. Sport that involves tumbling, jumping and stunting
Answer: CHEER

17D. "A ___ without a plan is just a wish" (quote attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Answer: GOAL

18D. Jane in a Brontë novel
Answer: EYRE

19D. Comedian Carvey
Answer: DANA

20D. Fight lightly
Answer: SPAR

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 15A MOCAP is the grid's defining clue. Mary Oliver's initials supply MO, the cloche supplies CAP, and the result also reads as familiar shorthand for motion capture.

Wordplay Winner: 11A NOCAP wins the wordplay contest. Naomi Osaka's initials create NO, the visor supplies CAP, and the resulting phrase works as both a literal headwear joke and slang for complete honesty.

Quick Fill: MOANA at 9A is the fastest confident fill because the Disney and Samoan-lyrics details pinpoint the film. It anchors OMNI, FOOT, FACEMASKS, ENAMOR, and RAP through its crossings.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank the full-span entries GEARHEADS, FACEMASKS, and FASTPACED once their direct definitions click. Their reach supplies useful letters throughout the grid.

When punctuated clues form a family, solve the shared mechanism before tackling each surface. NOCAP, MOCAP, and ELCAP all pair celebrity initials with CAP, so recognizing one construction unlocks the others.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid balanced clean trivia with lively slang, then let MOCAP make the central pun memorable. Its longer entries kept the crossings fair while the headwear clues supplied the personality.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans on a linked candy-history clue, crisp geography, and a neat advertising-slogan sound trick. Settle in for a compact grid with satisfying crossings.

How The Mini Works

The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.

New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 5x5

Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 1A is the trickiest clue because its candy-origin anecdote only resolves after the linked entry comes into view.

Gimme Clue: 5A is the clearest gimme, since both named kingdoms point directly to the same continent.

Theme Spotted: Linked candy-name clue at 1A and 8A.

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. With 8-Across, candy pieces that got their name after the chocolatier tried to make them perfectly round, but failed
Hint: Think of the candy whose famously imperfect shape inspired its name, then use 8A to complete the product name. Four letters, starts with M.

5A. Home of Brunei and Bhutan
Hint: Place both named kingdoms on the same continent. Four letters, starts with A.

6A. Like the skin of snakes and fish
Hint: Picture the textured outer covering shared by a serpent and a fish. Five letters, starts with S.

7A. Take ___ (suffer financially)
Hint: Complete the phrase for absorbing a financial loss. Four letters, starts with A.

8A. See 1-Across
Hint: Return to 1A and finish the candy name formed by those imperfect pieces. Four letters, starts with D.

Down Hints

1D. ___ Picchu
Hint: Supply the word that precedes “Picchu” in the name of Peru's famed Inca citadel. Five letters, starts with M.

2D. "To repeat myself ..."
Hint: Think of the compact phrase used before repeating a point you have already made. Five letters, starts with I.

3D. Gentle musical melodies
Hint: Look for a plural noun for melodies that rise and fall with a gentle rhythmic swing. Five letters, starts with L.

4D. What "every kiss begins with," in jewelry ads
Hint: Hear the jewelry slogan aloud and isolate the sound that follows “begins with.” Three letters, starts with K.

6D. Wearing an upside-down smile
Hint: Picture the expression suggested by a mouth curved downward. Three letters, starts with S.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. With 8-Across, candy pieces that got their name after the chocolatier tried to make them perfectly round, but failed
Answer: MILK

5A. Home of Brunei and Bhutan
Answer: ASIA

6A. Like the skin of snakes and fish
Answer: SCALY

7A. Take ___ (suffer financially)
Answer: AHIT

8A. See 1-Across
Answer: DUDS

Down Answers

1D. ___ Picchu
Answer: MACHU

2D. "To repeat myself ..."
Answer: ISAID

3D. Gentle musical melodies
Answer: LILTS

4D. What "every kiss begins with," in jewelry ads
Answer: KAY

6D. Wearing an upside-down smile
Answer: SAD

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: The defining pair is 1A with 8A, MILK DUDS. It works because the clue turns the candy's failed attempt at perfect roundness into a memorable explanation of its name.

Wordplay Winner: KAY at 4D wins the wordplay prize. The slogan points to the jewelry brand while also invoking the spoken name of the initial letter in “kiss.”

Quick Fill: ASIA at 5A was the fastest confident fill, and it immediately checked MACHU, ISAID, LILTS, and KAY through the upper crossings.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Start with a firm geography fill such as ASIA, then let its crossings establish the crossing downs, especially MACHU and KAY. Once those letters are secure, linked clues such as MILK DUDS become much easier to finish as a unit.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid treated solvers fairly, pairing direct trivia with a playful centerpiece. MILK DUDS supplied the finish with the strongest personality.

See you at the next grid.

Today's Extreme Quordle lands with puzzle #752, and brings a compact but prickly quartet, with familiar meanings hiding several spelling traps. Welcome back, and settle in for a demanding board.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 8 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the tighter daily format with more unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of arriving at a hotel, theater, or office building and pausing before heading farther inside.

The Category: This is primarily a noun for a public interior space, though it also has a familiar action sense connected with persuasion.

The Boundaries: Starts with L, ends with Y.

The Structure: B repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: It is the reception or waiting area near the entrance of a large building.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think anatomy, protection, and the hard structure beneath the face and scalp.

The Category: This noun belongs to anatomy and names a major protective part of the skeleton.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with L.

The Structure: L repeats in positions 4 and 5

The Giveaway: It is the bony framework of the head that surrounds the brain.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of failing a required standard, whether the issue is health, readiness, or qualification.

The Category: This adjective describes inadequate condition or suitability for a role, task, or purpose.

The Boundaries: Starts with U, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 1 and 4.

The Giveaway: It describes a person or thing that does not meet the physical or practical standard required for something.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a dispute that feels too small to deserve the energy spent on it.

The Category: This adjective covers trivial matters and behavior marked by small-minded resentment.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with Y.

The Structure: T repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: It describes something of little importance, or someone spiteful over minor concerns.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: L | Last Letter: Y

Word 2 First Letter: S | Last Letter: L

Word 3 First Letter: U | Last Letter: T

Word 4 First Letter: P | Last Letter: Y

Today's Extreme Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): LOBBY
Word 2 (Top-Right): SKULL
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): UNFIT
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): PETTY

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

LOBBY: LOBBY works as a noun for an entrance hall or waiting area and as a verb meaning to seek influence from decision-makers. In everyday use, the noun often appears in hotel and office directions, while the verb belongs naturally in political and business reporting.

SKULL: SKULL is a noun for the bony structure of the head that protects the brain and supports the face. Everyday uses range from medical descriptions to blunt warnings about head injuries.

UNFIT: UNFIT is an adjective meaning unsuitable, insufficiently healthy, or not qualified for a particular purpose. It commonly modifies a person, a condition, or an object judged unsafe for use.

PETTY: PETTY is an adjective meaning trivial or small-minded, especially when describing complaints, quarrels, or vindictive behavior. It is often used when the reaction seems more serious than the issue behind it.

The Difficulty Rating

I rate this quartet 4 out of 5. LOBBY is the hardest because its doubled center can remain concealed, while SKULL is the easiest thanks to its concrete anatomical meaning.

Three answers contain a repeated letter, and each of those answers has only one standard vowel. Those compressed spellings make correct consonant placement more important than broad vowel discovery.

Strategic Insights

Start with broad coverage across distinct vowels and consonants, then use UNFIT as the board that rewards elimination without requiring a duplicate. Save duplicate testing for the other three grids once their frames become clearer.

LOBBY and PETTY share the same structural rhythm, with a doubled consonant in the middle and Y at the end. SKULL shifts its doubled consonant to the final two positions, while UNFIT alone uses five distinct letters.

Tomorrow's Reset

Reset the keyboard, clear the doubled letters from your mind, and come back for the next four-word board.

Extreme puzzle #753 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1888, and it brings a compact, thorny challenge that rewards careful pattern reading. Whether you are protecting a streak or trying Wordle for the first time, welcome to today's solve.

The Basics (For New Players)

Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.

Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1888 awaits.

The Letter Rundown

Today's puzzle breaks down like this:

Vowel Count: 1 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 4 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: No repeats today
Letter Rarity: Mostly common letters, with K the least frequent of the set

The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)

We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.

Level 1 (The Vibe): Think of something that resists a clear view or a clean explanation.

Level 2 (The Category): It is an adjective describing something dark, cloudy, unclear, or difficult to understand.

Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with M, ends with Y.

Level 4 (The Structure): All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 2.

Level 5 (The Giveaway): Use it for water you cannot see through or for a situation whose details feel suspiciously unclear.

Quick-Reference Clues

First Letter: M

Last Letter: Y

Vowels Present: U

Double Letters: No

Rhymes With: PERKY, QUIRKY, TURKEY

Today's Wordle Answer

Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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The answer to Wordle #1888 is: MURKY

Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer

MURKY means dark, cloudy, or difficult to see through, with a figurative extension meaning unclear or suspicious.

Pond water can look murky, while an explanation, business deal, or historical episode can have murky details.

Origins: MURKY combines murk with the adjective-forming suffix -y. Murk entered English in the Middle English period and is related to the Old Norse word myrkr, meaning dark.

Word Family: murk, murkier, murkiest, murkily, murkiness

Fun Fact: The word works equally well for literal darkness and figurative uncertainty. That familiar meaning contrasts neatly with a consonant-heavy spelling made entirely of distinct letters, which gives it bite as a Wordle answer.

The Streak Saver Rating

I rate this one 4 out of 5, with a consonant-cluster trap. Four consonants surround the lone standard vowel, and every letter appears exactly once.

The ending can also pull the eye toward words with a doubled R, even though today's answer contains no repeated letters.

Once U, R, and the final Y begin to emerge, a solver can burn guesses on CURRY, FURRY, or HURRY. Those guesses keep recycling a doubled R that does not belong in today's grid.

The disciplined play is a probe containing K, M, and useful untested consonants before committing another guess to the same word family. That breaks the repeating-letter tunnel and exposes the answer's distinct-letter structure.

What This Puzzle Teaches

When a visible pattern suggests several near-neighbors, count which positions those candidates keep repeating. A broad consonant probe is stronger than testing the candidates one at a time.

Tomorrow's Reset

Puzzle #1889 drops at midnight in your timezone, Thursday handing the streak over to a fresh board.

MURKY rewards the moment you step away from the obvious doubled-letter family. How did your solve go today?

See you at midnight for the next challenge.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, August 20, 2026 (Puzzle #900). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "Split superlatives"

What It Really Means

You are hunting for separate halves of familiar expressions that describe someone or something as exceptional.

Think About...

• Think of fixed expressions used as lavish compliments.
• Look for halves that become stronger when matched with another find.
• Picture praise drawn from animals, valuables, clothing, and measures.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Left to right across the board

Letter Count: 8 letters

Starting Zone: Row 3, letter 1

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a direct bit of praise aimed at another person.

Hint 2 (Warmer): It is the opening of a compliment, leaving the board's other finds to complete it.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is Y, last letter is E

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YOURETHE

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: Workers in a hive.

Closer: Honey-making insects that live in hives.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total

Answer

BEES

Word 2

Vague: The highest-ranked choice.

Closer: The opposite of worst.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total

Answer

BEST

Word 3

Vague: Independent pets with whiskers.

Closer: Whiskered pets known for purring.

Letter Clue: Starts with C, 4 letters total

Answer

CATS

Word 4

Vague: A precious material associated with first place.

Closer: The yellow metal awarded to a winner.

Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total

Answer

GOLD

Word 5

Vague: Joints midway down the legs.

Closer: The joints between the thighs and shins.

Letter Clue: Starts with K, 5 letters total

Answer

KNEES

Word 6

Vague: Clothing worn to bed.

Closer: A matching sleepwear set, often a top and loose trousers.

Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total

Answer

PAJAMAS

Word 7

Vague: A benchmark used for comparison.

Closer: An accepted level of quality, or a flag carried as an emblem.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total

Answer

STANDARD

Word 8

Vague: An intensifier placed before an adjective.

Closer: The emphasis word in the phrase '___ good.'

Letter Clue: Starts with V, 4 letters total

Answer

VERY

Full Answers

Spangram: YOURETHE

Theme Words:

• BEES
• BEST
• CATS
• GOLD
• KNEES
• PAJAMAS
• STANDARD
• VERY

Puzzle Debrief

Difficulty Rating: Medium, with eight compact entries whose pairings are easier to recognize than the isolated words.

Trickiest Word: STANDARD is the likeliest stumbling block because it can mean a benchmark, an accepted norm, or a flag carried as an emblem.

Our Take: YOURETHE provides the shared opening, then the list clicks into four exuberant compliments: BEES with KNEES, CATS with PAJAMAS, GOLD with STANDARD, and VERY with BEST. The split construction makes ordinary standalone words feel satisfyingly transformed once their partners emerge.

Today's Classic Quordle lands with puzzle #1669, and a balanced quartet mixes familiar meanings with a couple of forms that demand careful reading. Welcome back, and enjoy working through today’s board.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 9 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the original daily format. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think structure, support, and the part that keeps a body upright.

The Category: A noun from anatomy, with a familiar secondary use in books.

The Boundaries: Starts with S, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: The central chain of bones running down the back.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think nearness, whether in distance, relationship, or a contest.

The Category: An adjective, adverb, or verb concerned with nearness or bringing something to an end.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: To shut an opening, or to finish an event or transaction.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think sudden force breaking through restraint.

The Category: A verb tied to volcanoes, outbreaks, and abrupt bursts of activity.

The Boundaries: Starts with E, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 1 and 3.

The Giveaway: To burst out violently, as lava, anger, or noise can do.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a comparison that favors greater quality or delicacy.

The Category: A comparative adjective covering quality, thinness, or precision.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with R.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: More excellent, more delicate, or more precisely made than something else.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: S | Last Letter: E

Word 2 First Letter: C | Last Letter: E

Word 3 First Letter: E | Last Letter: T

Word 4 First Letter: F | Last Letter: R

Today's Classic Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): SPINE
Word 2 (Top-Right): CLOSE
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): ERUPT
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): FINER

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

SPINE: SPINE is a noun for the backbone, the linked column of bones supporting the body. It also names the bound edge of a book, where the title often appears.

CLOSE: CLOSE can be an adjective meaning near, or a verb meaning to shut or conclude. The adjective and verb share a spelling but use different final consonant sounds in speech.

ERUPT: ERUPT is a verb meaning to burst out suddenly or violently. Beyond volcanoes, everyday usage applies it to arguments, laughter, applause, and other abrupt outbreaks.

FINER: FINER is the comparative adjective formed from fine, meaning better in quality, more delicate, or more precise. The phrase “finer details” commonly points to subtle points that deserve careful attention.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, with familiar vocabulary balanced by grammatical and pronunciation traps.

FINER is the hardest answer because its comparative form can be overlooked, while ERUPT is the easiest thanks to its direct, vivid meaning.

CLOSE carries several parts of speech and two pronunciations, while FINER uses the same five letters as INFER. SPINE is structurally straightforward, but its shared letters with FINER can keep both grids looking plausible.

Strategic Insights

Use two opening guesses with distinct letters and broad vowel coverage, since this quartet draws from a varied pool rather than leaning on doubled characters. Prioritize gathering information before committing to a nearly complete grid.

None of the four answers repeats a letter internally, and E appears in every answer. SPINE and FINER also share I and N, while smaller overlaps connect SPINE with CLOSE and ERUPT, and ERUPT with FINER.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid from your mind, then come back for the next four-word board and a fresh set of deductions.

Classic puzzle #1670 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Chill Quordle lands with puzzle #752, and balances familiar vocabulary with one duplication trap and several tightly connected spellings. Welcome back, settle in and work the four boards together.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 12 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the roomier daily format with fewer unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think polished presentation, careful personal upkeep, and an important figure at a wedding.

The Category: This works as a noun or verb in the territory of preparation, neatness, and marriage.

The Boundaries: Starts with G, ends with M.

The Structure: O repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: It can mean the person about to marry, or the act of making someone or something neat and ready.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a packed public space where movement becomes difficult and personal space disappears.

The Category: This is a noun or verb associated with gathering closely and filling limited space.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with D.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It means a dense group gathered in one place, or the act of pressing closely around someone or something.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think legal judgment on one side and a controlled test on the other.

The Category: This is a noun connected with formal testing, evaluation, or a legal proceeding.

The Boundaries: Starts with T, ends with L.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: It is an examination used to judge performance or suitability, and it can also be the legal process used to decide a case.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Look toward sewing supplies, table linens, and the basic material behind countless household items.

The Category: This is a mass noun for a flexible material made from fibers.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with H.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 3.

The Giveaway: It is fabric produced by weaving, knitting, or otherwise binding fibers together.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: G | Last Letter: M

Word 2 First Letter: C | Last Letter: D

Word 3 First Letter: T | Last Letter: L

Word 4 First Letter: C | Last Letter: H

Today's Chill Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): GROOM
Word 2 (Top-Right): CROWD
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): TRIAL
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): CLOTH

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

GROOM: GROOM is both a noun and a verb, naming a man at his wedding or meaning to clean, prepare, or train someone or something. In everyday use, the verb often appears when discussing personal care, animal care, or preparation for a future role.

CROWD: CROWD is a noun for a large group gathered together and a verb meaning to fill a space or press closely around something. Everyday phrases such as “crowd the doorway” use the verb to emphasize restricted space rather than a particular group.

TRIAL: TRIAL is a noun for a formal test or a legal examination of evidence. Outside legal settings, it commonly describes a limited test run used to evaluate whether a product, method, or arrangement works.

CLOTH: CLOTH is a mass noun for material made by weaving, knitting, or binding fibers. In everyday use, it can also refer to a particular piece used for wiping, covering, or cleaning.

The Difficulty Rating

I rate this quartet 2.5 out of 5. The vocabulary is direct, but the close overlap among the answers can leave several boards looking deceptively similar.

GROOM is the hardest because its doubled O can consume an extra guess when only one copy has been confirmed. TRIAL is the easiest, with five distinct characters and a familiar spelling that separates cleanly once its two vowels appear.

Strategic Insights

Use an opening pair with distinct characters that tests A, I, O and the consonants C, R, T, and L. That coverage attacks every board directly while preserving room to test the less shared endings afterward.

R appears in GROOM, CROWD, and TRIAL, while O appears in GROOM, CROWD, and CLOTH. C is shared by CROWD and CLOTH, T and L connect TRIAL with CLOTH, and only GROOM repeats a character, doubling its O.

Tomorrow's Reset

Enjoy the reset, and come back for the next four-word board with a fresh grid and a clean slate.

Chill puzzle #753 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and it brings a tidy mix of direct trivia, crisp misdirection, and a circled-letter theme. Settle in for a grid that rewards quick recall and careful cross-checking.

How The Midi Works

The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.

New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 9x9

Total Clues: 30 (15 Across, 15 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 4D is the trickiest clue because the cross-reference and circled-letter role ask you to solve both a phrase and the grid's visual idea.

Gimme Clue: 1A is the clearest gimme. The pancake-focused breakfast chain is instantly recognizable.

Theme Spotted: "Lines From a Script"

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Breakfast food chain
Hint: Think of the breakfast restaurant chain known for pancakes. Four letters, starts with I.

5A. Big ___, Sesame Street resident with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hint: Think of Sesame Street's towering yellow feathered resident with a Hollywood honor. Four letters, starts with B.

9A. Magician's exclamation
Hint: Picture the flourish a magician cries after the reveal. Four letters, starts with T.

10A. Smoothie bowl berry
Hint: Name the purple berry blended into smoothie bowls. Four letters, starts with A.

11A. Mix, as soup
Hint: Use the verb for moving a spoon through soup to combine it. Four letters, starts with S.

12A. Facial feature stroked when thinking, perhaps
Hint: Touch the part of the face just below the lower lip, often rubbed in thought. Four letters, starts with C.

13A. Eating between lunch and dinner, say
Hint: Think of having a small bite between the midday meal and dinner. Eight letters, starts with S.

15A. Barbell units: Abbr.
Hint: Use the standard abbreviation shown beside a barbell's weight. Three letters, starts with L.

16A. "It's safe to enter"
Hint: Think of the reassuring signal that entry is now safe. Eight letters, starts with A.

21A. Neo-soul singer India.___
Hint: Identify the neo-soul artist behind “Video” and “Brown Skin,” then supply the missing part of the stage name. Four letters, starts with A.

22A. Vocalist who might sing the middle part in a harmony
Hint: Look for the voice part set between soprano and tenor in choral harmony. Four letters, starts with A.

23A. Web programmer's code
Hint: Name the markup language used to structure a web page. Four letters, starts with H.

24A. See 4-Down
Hint: Solve this together with 4D. It completes the clue's alone-together activity and the circled-letter hint. Four letters, starts with P.

25A. "Agreed," at sea
Hint: Use the sailor's traditional affirmative. Three letters, starts with A.

26A. "When I'm feeling ___, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!" (lyric from "The Sound of Music")
Hint: Fill the downcast feeling that favorite things dispel in the lyric. Three letters, starts with S.

Down Hints

1D. "___ the hard-knock life"
Hint: Complete the opening contraction in the familiar Annie lyric about the hard-knock life. Three letters, starts with I.

2D. Hard ___ (head protectors)
Hint: Complete the compound term for protective construction headgear. Four letters, starts with H.

3D. Thor's dad
Hint: Name the Norse ruler who fathers the thunder god. Four letters, starts with O.

4D. With 24-Across, alone-together activity ... or a hint to the arrangement of this puzzle's circled letters
Hint: Pair this with 24A for an alone-together activity in which people each do their own thing side by side. The same phrase explains the circles. Eight letters, starts with P.

5D. Encouraging touches from teammates
Hint: Picture congratulatory pats delivered to a teammate from behind. Nine letters, starts with B.

6D. One, in Japanese
Hint: Supply the Japanese counting word that comes before ni. Four letters, starts with I.

7D. Umbrella weather
Hint: Think of the weather that makes an umbrella useful. Four letters, starts with R.

8D. Bit of minor car damage
Hint: Name the small dent or nick left on a car's body. Four letters, starts with D.

14D. North-of-the-border TV network
Hint: Think of Canada's national public television broadcaster. Three letters, starts with C.

16D. Bohemian
Hint: Use the adjective for a bohemian, creatively inclined style. Four letters, starts with A.

17D. Light green
Hint: Name the citrus-associated shade between yellow and green. Four letters, starts with L.

18D. Jazz legend Fitzgerald
Hint: Identify the jazz singer celebrated as the First Lady of Song. Four letters, starts with E.

19D. Slightly
Hint: Think of a phrase meaning by a very small amount. Four letters, starts with A.

20D. ___ G. Biv (rainbow mnemonic)
Hint: Complete the opening of the rainbow mnemonic that continues G. Biv. Three letters, starts with R.

21D. Exclamation during a "light bulb moment"
Hint: Use the burst of recognition voiced when an idea clicks. Three letters, starts with A.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Breakfast food chain
Answer: IHOP

5A. Big ___, Sesame Street resident with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Answer: BIRD

9A. Magician's exclamation
Answer: TADA

10A. Smoothie bowl berry
Answer: ACAI

11A. Mix, as soup
Answer: STIR

12A. Facial feature stroked when thinking, perhaps
Answer: CHIN

13A. Eating between lunch and dinner, say
Answer: SNACKING

15A. Barbell units: Abbr.
Answer: LBS

16A. "It's safe to enter"
Answer: ALLCLEAR

21A. Neo-soul singer India.___
Answer: ARIE

22A. Vocalist who might sing the middle part in a harmony
Answer: ALTO

23A. Web programmer's code
Answer: HTML

24A. See 4-Down
Answer: PLAY

25A. "Agreed," at sea
Answer: AYE

26A. "When I'm feeling ___, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!" (lyric from "The Sound of Music")
Answer: SAD

Down Answers

1D. "___ the hard-knock life"
Answer: ITS

2D. Hard ___ (head protectors)
Answer: HATS

3D. Thor's dad
Answer: ODIN

4D. With 24-Across, alone-together activity ... or a hint to the arrangement of this puzzle's circled letters
Answer: PARALLEL

5D. Encouraging touches from teammates
Answer: BACKSLAPS

6D. One, in Japanese
Answer: ICHI

7D. Umbrella weather
Answer: RAIN

8D. Bit of minor car damage
Answer: DING

14D. North-of-the-border TV network
Answer: CBC

16D. Bohemian
Answer: ARTY

17D. Light green
Answer: LIME

18D. Jazz legend Fitzgerald
Answer: ELLA

19D. Slightly
Answer: ATAD

20D. ___ G. Biv (rainbow mnemonic)
Answer: ROY

21D. Exclamation during a "light bulb moment"
Answer: AHA

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: The defining pair is 4D and 24A, PARALLEL PLAY. It works because the phrase names an alone-together activity while also serving as the clue's explicit guide to the arrangement of the circled letters.

Wordplay Winner: BACKSLAPS wins the wordplay prize. “Touches” initially sounds delicate, but the answer recasts it as hearty congratulatory pats from teammates.

Quick Fill: IHOP was the fastest confident fill because the breakfast-chain clue points directly to a familiar brand. It immediately anchors ITS, HATS, ODIN, and PARALLEL through the crossings.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

When a clue points elsewhere, treat the linked entries as one unit. PARALLEL at 4D becomes decisive once PLAY at 24A completes the phrase.

Bank broad central entries as soon as their clues click. SNACKING and ALLCLEAR provide useful checks for the long Downs, especially PARALLEL and BACKSLAPS.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

This grid treated solvers fairly, pairing accessible fill with a theme that became sharper at the reveal. PARALLEL PLAY gave the circled letters a clean purpose and left the puzzle with a satisfying finish.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and leans on brisk trivia, compact slang, and a neat question-mark twist without building a broader gimmick. Settle in for a clean grid with lively contrasts.

How The Mini Works

The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.

New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 5x5

Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 1D is the trickiest clue because its question mark recasts nourishment as energy.

Gimme Clue: 4D is the easiest gimme, since the city name makes the missing Spanish article nearly automatic.

Theme Spotted: None today, straight trivia and wordplay.

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Scientist's workplace
Hint: Picture the bench-and-beaker setting where scientific experiments happen. Three letters, starts with L.

4A. Best friend of Charlie Brown
Hint: Think of Charlie Brown's blanket-carrying friend. Five letters, starts with L.

6A. Looking for a fight, informally
Hint: The clue wants informal British slang for confrontational behavior. Five letters, starts with A.

7A. Turtle's hiding place
Hint: Focus on the hard protective home a turtle retreats into. Five letters, starts with S.

8A. Give an effort
Hint: Look for a compact verb meaning to make an effort. Three letters, starts with T.

Down Hints

1D. Plant food?
Hint: Focus on the energy source that powers photosynthesis, rather than fertilizer. Five letters, starts with L.

2D. "Don't Look Back in ___" (Oasis hit)
Hint: Complete the Oasis song title with the emotion tied to heated resentment. Five letters, starts with A.

3D. Large and muscular
Hint: Picture someone thickset, broad, and powerfully built. Five letters, starts with B.

4D. ___ Vegas
Hint: Supply the Spanish feminine plural article before Vegas. Three letters, starts with L.

5D. Note after do, re, mi, fa ...
Hint: Continue the do-re-mi sequence immediately after fa. Three letters, starts with S.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Scientist's workplace
Answer: LAB

4A. Best friend of Charlie Brown
Answer: LINUS

6A. Looking for a fight, informally
Answer: AGGRO

7A. Turtle's hiding place
Answer: SHELL

8A. Give an effort
Answer: TRY

Down Answers

1D. Plant food?
Answer: LIGHT

2D. "Don't Look Back in ___" (Oasis hit)
Answer: ANGER

3D. Large and muscular
Answer: BURLY

4D. ___ Vegas
Answer: LAS

5D. Note after do, re, mi, fa ...
Answer: SOL

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: The 6A pairing of "Looking for a fight, informally" with AGGRO defines this grid's punchy voice. The clipped slang sounds as confrontational as the behavior it names.

Wordplay Winner: At 1D, "Plant food?" yields LIGHT by treating food as fuel. Plants use light energy to power photosynthesis, so the question mark earns its keep.

Quick Fill: LAB is the fastest confident fill because "Scientist's workplace" is completely direct. Its crossings seed LIGHT, ANGER, and BURLY across the grid.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Take fixed phrases and sequences early. LAS completes "___ Vegas" and SOL follows fa, giving the outer columns enough structure to steady LINUS, AGGRO, and SHELL.

When a question mark turns a familiar noun sideways, switch from the literal object to what sustains it. That move converts "Plant food?" into LIGHT without forcing the crossings.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

This grid played fair while keeping its language lively, with AGGRO bringing the bite and LIGHT providing the cleanest wink.

See you at the next grid.

The Thursday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1166, serving up a grid that rewards menu instincts, visual attention, and a sharp eye for hidden beginnings.

What Makes Connections Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1166:

TELEPHONE | APOSTROPHE | OXFORD | SERIAL
HAWAIIAN | OKINA | RATCHET | COMMA
WHITE | PIGMENT | ATOMIC | DRAGONFLY
DIAVOLA | CEDILLA | MEAT LOVERS | SOCIAL SECURITY

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about choices that could appear together on a casual dinner menu.

Green Category Clue: Look for labels used to identify, contact, catalog, or describe something precisely.

Blue Category Hint: Pay attention to visual form rather than meaning, especially small marks that sit around letters.

Purple Category Teaser: Try splitting longer entries near the front, then compare their short openings through a shared cultural system.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Kinds Of Pizza): DIAVOLA, HAWAIIAN, MEAT LOVERS, WHITE

DIAVOLA, HAWAIIAN, MEAT LOVERS, and WHITE are all KINDS OF PIZZA, covering spicy, sweet-savory, meat-heavy, and sauce-defined menu styles.

HAWAIIAN creates a genuine cross-grid distraction with OKINA, a mark used in writing Hawaiian, while WHITE can also pull attention toward PIGMENT.

Green (Kinds Of Numbers): ATOMIC, SERIAL, SOCIAL SECURITY, TELEPHONE

ATOMIC, SERIAL, SOCIAL SECURITY, and TELEPHONE are KINDS OF NUMBERS. Each forms a standard phrase by adding “number”: atomic number, serial number, Social Security number, and telephone number.

SERIAL can look like an entertainment clue, and ATOMIC can suggest science vocabulary, but the repeated noun after all four entries locks the set together.

Blue (Similarly Shaped Typographical Marks): APOSTROPHE, CEDILLA, COMMA, OKINA

APOSTROPHE, CEDILLA, COMMA, and OKINA are SIMILARLY SHAPED TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKS. Their small curved or comma-like forms appear at different heights or positions around letters and text.

OKINA is the strongest red herring because its connection to Hawaiian writing points directly toward HAWAIIAN, even though the intended link is visual.

Purple (Starting With Chinese Zodiac Animals): DRAGONFLY, OXFORD, PIGMENT, RATCHET

DRAGONFLY, OXFORD, PIGMENT, and RATCHET are STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS. Their openings are DRAGON, OX, PIG, and RAT, respectively.

The trick depends on unequal cuts, from the long DRAGON opening to the compact OX, PIG, and RAT fragments, so ordinary whole-word meanings conceal the pattern effectively.

The Verdict

The pizza set is the cleanest opening route, with four recognizable menu choices that can fall together quickly.

The real trap sits between HAWAIIAN and OKINA, reinforced by the tempting phrase WHITE PIGMENT, which makes two correct groups look less settled than they are.

The final streak test is the zodiac opening trick, particularly recognizing OX inside OXFORD and RAT inside RATCHET without treating the entries as complete animal names.

Reset and Repeat

Tomorrow brings another fresh grid, but today’s DRAGON, OX, PIG, and RAT openings are the trick worth carrying forward. Reset the board and come back ready to split suspiciously ordinary words in unexpected places.

For now, puzzle #1166 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

The Thursday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #696, serving up a grid that moves through European football, American sporting history, phrase-building, and arena music.

What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #696:

FULL | MOON | HOWL | PITCH
FULHAM | BAGWELL | CHELSEA DAGGER | CRYSTAL PALACE
OLAJUWON | TOTTENHAM | LITHIUM | SILENT
SHOUT | HARD | ARSENAL | BIGGIO

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about teams linked by one major European capital.

Green Category Clue: Focus on celebrated athletes tied to the same American city across different sports and eras.

Blue Category Hint: Read some entries as the first half of familiar two-word expressions.

Purple Category Teaser: Arena music is more useful than standings for this group.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (London Soccer Clubs): ARSENAL, CRYSTAL PALACE, FULHAM, TOTTENHAM

ARSENAL, TOTTENHAM, CRYSTAL PALACE, and FULHAM are LONDON SOCCER CLUBS.

CHELSEA DAGGER supplies the sharp red herring because Chelsea is also the name of a London club, but the complete entry belongs with the music titles.

Green (Houston Sports Stars, Historically): BAGWELL, BIGGIO, MOON, OLAJUWON

MOON, BAGWELL, OLAJUWON, and BIGGIO are HOUSTON SPORTS STARS, HISTORICALLY, pointing to Warren Moon, Jeff Bagwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Craig Biggio.

MOON also tempts a pairing with HOWL through the familiar image of a wolf calling toward the moon.

Blue (Can Come Before "count"): FULL, HARD, PITCH, SILENT

FULL, HARD, PITCH, and SILENT CAN COME BEFORE "COUNT," producing full count, hard count, pitch count, and silent count.

PITCH carries extra sports camouflage because it can describe a playing surface or a thrown ball, while SILENT and SHOUT create an enticing opposition elsewhere in the grid.

Purple (Nhl Goal Songs): CHELSEA DAGGER, HOWL, LITHIUM, SHOUT

CHELSEA DAGGER, LITHIUM, HOWL, and SHOUT are NHL GOAL SONGS, linking four music titles heard in hockey celebrations.

The trick is recognizing the entries as song titles rather than sorting them by their ordinary meanings or verbal energy.

The Verdict

The London set is the cleanest opening group because all four names carry a clear geographic bond.

The real trap sits between MOON and HOWL, alongside the SILENT and SHOUT opposition, while CHELSEA DAGGER brushes against the London theme.

The goal-song group is the streak-decider, since it demands a switch from sports names and phrases to arena soundtrack knowledge.

Reset and Repeat

The best final click comes from hearing the arena soundtrack behind those four titles instead of reading them literally. Reset the board and come back tomorrow for another grid.

For now, puzzle #696 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Wordle lands with puzzle #1887, and a compact challenge hides its sharpest trap near the finish. Whether you are protecting a streak or opening Wordle for the first time, welcome to today's solve.

The Basics (For New Players)

Wordle gives you six attempts to crack a five-letter word. After each guess, tiles change color: green means right letter, right spot; yellow signals right letter, wrong position; gray indicates the letter isn't in the word at all. One puzzle per day, shared by millions worldwide. That's the beauty of it.

Created by Josh Wardle in 2021 and now part of The New York Times Games family, Wordle has become a daily ritual for word lovers everywhere. Today's puzzle #1887 awaits.

The Letter Rundown

Today's puzzle breaks down like this:

Vowel Count: 1 vowel(s)
Consonant Count: 4 consonant(s)
Repeated Letters: Yes - the letter L appears twice
Letter Rarity: All common letters

The Elimination Game (Progressive Hints)

We've designed these hints to reveal just enough at each level. Stop when you've got it figured out.

Level 1 (The Vibe): Think heat, pressure, and an experience that can leave someone feeling thoroughly tested.

Level 2 (The Category): This word works as both a noun and a verb, with meanings connected to cooking and intense questioning.

Level 3 (The Boundaries): Starts with G, ends with L.

Level 4 (The Structure): One letter appears twice, once in position 4 and again in position 5.

Level 5 (The Giveaway): To cook food over direct heat, or to question someone relentlessly.

Quick-Reference Clues

First Letter: G

Last Letter: L

Vowels Present: I

Double Letters: Yes - L

Rhymes With: CHILL, STILL, THRILL

Today's Wordle Answer

Final warning: The answer is directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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The answer to Wordle #1887 is: GRILL

Word DNA: Breaking Down Today's Answer

GRILL means a metal grate or appliance used for cooking food over direct heat. As a verb, you can grill vegetables for dinner or grill a witness with persistent questions.

Origins: The English word comes through French gril, meaning a gridiron, and ultimately traces to Latin craticula, a term for a small lattice or grating.

Word Family: grilled, grilling, griller

Fun Fact: The cooking verb also developed the figurative sense of subjecting someone to intense questioning. That double meaning makes the clue flexible, while the doubled ending supplies Wordle's mechanical sting.

The Streak Saver Rating

I rate this 4 out of 5, with a double-letter trap as the main factor. The lone vowel occupies the middle, while the final two positions contain the same consonant, so an otherwise strong grid can conceal the required repeat.

Once RILL is visible at the end, a solver can burn guesses cycling through DRILL, FRILL, and KRILL before reaching GRILL. A probe such as FUDGE checks F, D, and G together, separating several competing openings in one disciplined move.

What This Puzzle Teaches

When a nearly complete pattern admits several familiar words, stop testing candidates one by one. Spend a guess on a probe that covers multiple unresolved letters, especially when a repeated letter has already reduced the grid's information.

Tomorrow's Reset

Puzzle #1888 drops at midnight in your timezone, Wednesday handing the streak over to a fresh board.

GRILL brought heat through its crowded ending. How did your solve go, clean finish or a trip through the RILL family first?

See you at midnight for the next challenge.

The Wednesday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1165, serving up a grid that rewards command of everyday expressions, athletic vocabulary, and cinematic sound play.

What Makes Connections Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1165:

PICNIC | BASKET | BREEZE | ANTS
BLANKET | COCOA | PICKLE | FOOT
SNAP | BASE | MASK | SEOUL
OBSCURE | RHEO | CINCH | HIDE

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about the relaxed language used to describe an undemanding task.

Green Category Clue: Consider different ways something can be kept from view or made harder to notice.

Blue Category Hint: Look beyond standalone meanings and consider how short terms can help form names used in athletics.

Purple Category Teaser: Say the remaining entries aloud, letting sound rather than spelling point toward the screen.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Piece Of Cake): BREEZE, CINCH, PICNIC, SNAP

BREEZE, CINCH, PICNIC, and SNAP all describe something easy, placing them under PIECE OF CAKE.

PICNIC is the sharp decoy because BASKET, BLANKET, and ANTS can all inhabit the same outdoor scene.

Green (Conceal): BLANKET, HIDE, MASK, OBSCURE

BLANKET, HIDE, MASK, and OBSCURE can each mean CONCEAL, whether by covering something physically or preventing it from being clearly perceived.

BLANKET supplies the overlap here, since its outdoor association pulls it toward PICNIC before its verb sense becomes clear.

Blue (Words Before "ball" In Sport Names): BASE, BASKET, FOOT, PICKLE

BASE, BASKET, FOOT, and PICKLE each precede “ball” in a sport name, producing baseball, basketball, football, and pickleball.

BASKET is the deliberate distraction because it pairs naturally with PICNIC in ordinary speech, while its athletic compound is the intended connection.

Purple (Homophones Of Cgi-Animated Films): ANTS, COCOA, RHEO, SEOUL

ANTS, COCOA, RHEO, and SEOUL are homophones of the computer-animated film titles Antz, Coco, Rio, and Soul.

The trick depends on hearing each entry instead of reading it literally, with altered spellings disguising four recognizable titles.

The Verdict

The yellow group should fall first once BREEZE, CINCH, and SNAP establish the easy-task sense, though PICNIC initially looks like scene-setting vocabulary.

The real trap runs through PICNIC, BASKET, BLANKET, and ANTS, four words that paint a convincing scene while belonging to four separate groups.

Purple decides the streak because RHEO and SEOUL only become useful after their sounds are detached from their spellings.

Reset and Repeat

Today's grid is a reminder to test both the scene words suggest and the sounds they make, especially when a neat outdoor picture forms too quickly. Reset tomorrow with that homophone trick ready for another round.

For now, puzzle #1165 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Wednesday, August 19, 2026 (Puzzle #899). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "For better or wurst"

What It Really Means

You are hunting for sauces and garnishes used to dress a sausage served in a bun.

Think About...

• Start with squeezable sauces from cookouts and concession stands.
• Consider fresh or pickled garnishes that add crunch and tang.
• Picture everything available at a build-your-own frankfurter counter.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Left to right across the board

Letter Count: 7 letters

Starting Zone: Row 4, letter 6

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of the leaders of the pack.

Hint 2 (Warmer): The phrase describes those holding the highest rank, with a playful canine connection.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is S

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TOPDOGS

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: A rich dairy-based finishing touch.

Closer: This dairy topping is often shredded or melted over the bun.

Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total

Answer

CHEESE

Word 2

Vague: A smooth bottled condiment with a sweet and tangy profile.

Closer: This red, tomato-based sauce commonly comes from a squeeze bottle.

Letter Clue: Starts with K, 7 letters total

Answer

KETCHUP

Word 3

Vague: A sharp condiment made from ground seeds.

Closer: This yellow seed-based spread supplies a pungent, vinegary streak.

Letter Clue: Starts with M, 7 letters total

Answer

MUSTARD

Word 4

Vague: An aromatic bulb that can be served raw or cooked.

Closer: This layered bulb is commonly diced or sliced into rings before serving.

Letter Clue: Starts with O, 5 letters total

Answer

ONION

Word 5

Vague: A chopped, pickled condiment that brings sweetness and acidity.

Closer: This spoonable mixture is typically made from finely chopped pickled vegetables.

Letter Clue: Starts with R, 6 letters total

Answer

RELISH

Word 6

Vague: A fermented vegetable topping with a distinctly sour bite.

Closer: This German-named preparation consists of finely shredded fermented cabbage.

Letter Clue: Starts with S, 10 letters total

Answer

SAUERKRAUT

Full Answers

Spangram: TOPDOGS

Theme Words:

• CHEESE
• KETCHUP
• MUSTARD
• ONION
• RELISH
• SAUERKRAUT

Puzzle Debrief

Difficulty Rating: Medium, with a clear food theme offset by one long entry and a figurative spangram.

Trickiest Word: SAUERKRAUT is the likeliest stall because its ten-letter spelling is less immediately traceable than the shorter condiment names.

Our Take: TOPDOGS gives the puzzle a neat canine flourish while CHEESE, KETCHUP, MUSTARD, ONION, RELISH, and SAUERKRAUT build a coherent hot-dog counter. The word list balances familiar short toppings with the longer SAUERKRAUT path, so the grid grows more revealing as the food connection clicks.

Today's Classic Quordle lands with puzzle #1668, and balances familiar vocabulary with one sharper curveball, so settle in and enjoy working across all four boards.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 9 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the original daily format. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think indulgence that continues well beyond a sensible stopping point.

The Category: This can be a noun or verb associated with excessive consumption over a concentrated stretch.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 5.

The Giveaway: It means consuming, watching, or doing far too much of something in one sustained session.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Picture a contest in which one side keeps pushing another to improve.

The Category: Most commonly a noun, it belongs to the territory of competition and opposition.

The Boundaries: Starts with R, ends with L.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: It is a person, team, or organization competing for the same goal or distinction.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of turning decisively when the current direction no longer works.

The Category: This works as a noun or verb connected with rotation, redirection, and strategic change.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 4.

The Giveaway: It means turning around a fixed point or making a decisive change in approach.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Look toward cultivated fields, harvest season, and a staple food crop.

The Category: A noun from agriculture, it names a cereal plant grown for its edible kernels.

The Boundaries: Starts with M, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: It is the tall cereal crop whose kernels develop in rows on cobs.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: B | Last Letter: E

Word 2 First Letter: R | Last Letter: L

Word 3 First Letter: P | Last Letter: T

Word 4 First Letter: M | Last Letter: E

Today's Classic Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): BINGE
Word 2 (Top-Right): RIVAL
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): PIVOT
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): MAIZE

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

BINGE: BINGE is both a noun and a verb for a short period of excessive consumption or indulgence. In everyday use, it often describes watching several episodes consecutively or eating far beyond an ordinary serving.

RIVAL: RIVAL is primarily a noun for a person or group competing against another, though it also functions as a verb meaning to equal or challenge. Everyday phrases such as business rival and longtime rival make its competitive sense especially familiar.

PIVOT: PIVOT is a noun for a central turning point and a verb meaning to rotate or change direction. It appears often in practical discussions of plans, careers, and businesses that need a decisive shift.

MAIZE: MAIZE is a noun naming the cereal crop also called corn in North American usage. The term appears frequently in agricultural, historical, and international contexts.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3 out of 5, with familiar meanings offset by a few less predictable spelling choices.

MAIZE is the hardest answer because its agricultural sense is less routine in American conversation, and its Z can remain hidden after the vowel framework becomes clear.

RIVAL is the easiest, thanks to its familiar competitive meaning and clean spelling with no repeated characters. BINGE can still snag a guess through its soft final sound, while PIVOT competes closely with RIVAL through their matching interior pair.

Strategic Insights

Favor opening guesses that cover several vowels while introducing fresh consonants, since every answer uses five distinct characters and MAIZE carries three vowels. Once those signals appear, preserve guesses for the boards with rarer consonant needs.

I appears in all four answers, while RIVAL and PIVOT share I and V in matching positions. BINGE and MAIZE both finish with E, and RIVAL and MAIZE also share A in different positions.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid, reset your instincts, and come back for the next four-word board.

Classic puzzle #1669 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Chill Quordle lands with puzzle #751, and balances familiar meanings with a few sneaky repetitions, making this a friendly board that still rewards careful checking. Welcome in, and enjoy the solve.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 12 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the roomier daily format with fewer unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of something naturally sweet and ready for a bowl or lunchbox.

The Category: A concrete noun from the world of food and fresh produce.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with T.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: The edible part of a plant that often develops from a flower and contains seeds.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of tidying a hard floor with a familiar household tool.

The Category: A concrete noun for a simple cleaning implement.

The Boundaries: Starts with B, ends with M.

The Structure: O repeats in positions 3 and 4

The Giveaway: A long-handled tool with stiff fibers at one end, used to sweep floors.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think about how events, duties, or appointments are ordered in time.

The Category: An adjective concerning time, sequence, and precedence.

The Boundaries: Starts with P, ends with R.

The Structure: R repeats in positions 2 and 5

The Giveaway: Describes something that came earlier than the event now under discussion.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a quick motion that stops something moving through the air.

The Category: A versatile verb connected with receiving, seizing, or noticing.

The Boundaries: Starts with C, ends with H.

The Structure: C repeats in positions 1 and 4

The Giveaway: To intercept and hold something moving toward you.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: F | Last Letter: T

Word 2 First Letter: B | Last Letter: M

Word 3 First Letter: P | Last Letter: R

Word 4 First Letter: C | Last Letter: H

Today's Chill Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): FRUIT
Word 2 (Top-Right): BROOM
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): PRIOR
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): CATCH

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

FRUIT: FRUIT is a noun for the edible, seed-bearing part of a plant, and in everyday speech it also covers familiar sweet produce. The phrase "a piece of fruit" conveniently refers to one item without naming its variety.

BROOM: BROOM is a noun for a cleaning tool with stiff fibers attached to a handle. It commonly appears with verbs such as sweep, grab, and use when household chores are being discussed.

PRIOR: PRIOR is an adjective meaning earlier in time or order. Everyday phrases such as "prior experience" and "prior approval" use it to point to something required or completed beforehand.

CATCH: CATCH is a verb meaning to intercept, seize, or become aware of something. Its everyday range is broad, from receiving a thrown object to noticing a detail or boarding transport.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns 2.5 out of 5 for difficulty. PRIOR is the hardest because its repeated R can remain hidden, while FRUIT is the easiest thanks to its familiar meaning and five distinct letters.

BROOM can conceal its doubled O, and CATCH combines a repeated C with only one vowel. Those patterns punish guesses that assume every confirmed character appears only once.

Strategic Insights

Begin with broad-coverage guesses that test A, I, O, and U alongside useful consonants such as R, T, and C. That approach gathers evidence across all four grids before duplicate testing becomes necessary.

Three answers repeat a letter: BROOM doubles O, PRIOR repeats R, and CATCH repeats C, while FRUIT uses five distinct letters. R also appears across the first three answers, making it the strongest shared consonant in the quartet.

Tomorrow's Reset

Clear the grid, reset your instincts, and come back for the next four-word board.

Chill puzzle #752 arrives on the next daily reset.

Today's Extreme Quordle lands with puzzle #751, and a balanced quartet mixes familiar vocabulary with a few sharp spelling traps. Welcome back, and settle in for a board that rewards deliberate coverage.

The Basics (For New Players)

Quordle gives you 8 attempts to crack four five-letter words at once. Each guess applies to all four grids simultaneously. A green tile means the right letter in the right spot, yellow means the right letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in that particular word.

This is the tighter daily format with more unusual words. The goal stays the same: solve all four quadrants before the guesses run out.

Today's Four-Word Challenge

Work through the quadrants one at a time. Each set of clues moves from broad meaning to letter structure, so stop as soon as a word clicks.

Word 1 (Top-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Think of the restless feeling that arrives when patience is wearing thin.

The Category: This is an adjective describing an uneasy, impatient state.

The Boundaries: Starts with A, ends with Y.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowel sits in position 1.

The Giveaway: It describes someone who has become fidgety and cannot comfortably wait or sit still.

Word 2 (Top-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Think of a compact traditional tale that leaves a lesson behind.

The Category: This is a noun from the territory of fictional storytelling and moral instruction.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 2 and 5.

The Giveaway: It is a short invented story, often involving animals, that conveys a moral lesson.

Word 3 (Bottom-Left) Hints

The Vibe: Picture quick movement, easy changes of direction, and nimble reactions.

The Category: This adjective belongs to the territory of physical nimbleness and mental adaptability.

The Boundaries: Starts with A, ends with E.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 1 and 3 and 5.

The Giveaway: It describes someone or something able to move, think, or respond quickly and easily.

Word 4 (Bottom-Right) Hints

The Vibe: Head to the pantry and think about the foundation of bread, cakes, and pastry.

The Category: This is a mass noun for a finely ground cooking ingredient made from grain.

The Boundaries: Starts with F, ends with R.

The Structure: All five letters are different, and the vowels sit in positions 3 and 4.

The Giveaway: It is the soft powder produced by grinding grain and used as a basic baking ingredient.

Quick-Reference Clues (All Four Words)

Word 1 First Letter: A | Last Letter: Y

Word 2 First Letter: F | Last Letter: E

Word 3 First Letter: A | Last Letter: E

Word 4 First Letter: F | Last Letter: R

Today's Extreme Quordle Answers

Final warning: all four answers are directly below. Scroll only if you're ready.

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Word 1 (Top-Left): ANTSY
Word 2 (Top-Right): FABLE
Word 3 (Bottom-Left): AGILE
Word 4 (Bottom-Right): FLOUR

Word DNA (Breaking Down Today's Answers)

ANTSY: ANTSY is an adjective meaning restless, uneasy, or impatient. In everyday speech, people often say they are getting ANTSY when waiting has made it hard to sit still.

FABLE: FABLE is a noun for a short fictional story that conveys a moral, often through animal characters. It also appears in everyday speech for an invented or untrue account.

AGILE: AGILE is an adjective meaning able to move quickly and easily. It also describes flexible thinking, responsive teams, and plans that adapt smoothly to change.

FLOUR: FLOUR is a mass noun for powder made by grinding grain, especially wheat, and used in baking and cooking. In speech, its pronunciation matches flower, so written context carries the distinction.

The Difficulty Rating

This quartet earns a 3.5 out of 5 for difficulty, with familiar meanings offset by demanding vowel patterns.

ANTSY is the hardest answer because it contains only one standard vowel and relies on Y at the end, while FABLE is the easiest thanks to its familiar vocabulary and conventional shape. AGILE packs three vowels into alternating positions, and FLOUR places O and U together, creating additional spelling traps.

Strategic Insights

For efficient coverage, AGILE followed by FLOUR tests nine distinct letters while exposing all five standard vowels. That pair gives the remaining boards a strong consonant framework without wasting a guess on an internal duplicate.

None of the four answers repeats a letter internally. Across the quartet, ANTSY and AGILE share an opening A, FABLE and FLOUR share an opening F, and FABLE and AGILE both place L fourth and E fifth.

Tomorrow's Reset

Reset the board, keep that coverage discipline ready, and come back for the next four-word challenge.

Extreme puzzle #752 arrives on the next daily reset.

The Wednesday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #695, serving up a grid that spans franchises, campus shorthand, player recognition, and international terminology. The sharpest challenge comes from entries that look closely related even though they belong on opposite sides of the board.

What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick

For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.

Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.

Today's Grid at a Glance

Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #695:

AZZI | AZZURRI | ODYSSEY | TITANS
MIZZOU | GRIZZLIES | VANDY | ROSSONERI
ARIKE | BAMA | PAIGE | SAN SIRO
PREDATORS | SCUDETTO | NASHVILLE SC | A&M

A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.

Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Category Nudge: Think about where a set of organizations is based, rather than what their nicknames literally describe.

Green Category Clue: Read some entries as the clipped language fans use for schools, not as formal names.

Blue Category Hint: A roster check matters here, but focus on what the athletes are called rather than the club printed on the jersey.

Purple Category Teaser: Shift from North American leagues to the vocabulary, colors, and landmarks surrounding the game abroad.

The Full Solutions

Last chance to solve independently: answers below

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Yellow (Tennessee Pro Teams): GRIZZLIES, NASHVILLE SC, PREDATORS, TITANS

GRIZZLIES, PREDATORS, TITANS, and NASHVILLE SC are TENNESSEE PRO TEAMS. The set crosses basketball, hockey, football, and soccer, so geography supplies the connection rather than a shared league.

GRIZZLIES, PREDATORS, and TITANS all read naturally as broad common-noun labels, while NASHVILLE SC exposes the location-based structure.

Green (Sec Teams, Familiarly): A&M, BAMA, MIZZOU, VANDY

MIZZOU, BAMA, A&M, and VANDY are SEC TEAMS, FAMILIARLY. Each is an abbreviated or conversational label for a conference school rather than its complete institutional name.

A&M has the visual form of initials, while MIZZOU, BAMA, and VANDY sound more like spoken nicknames, which disguises their common function.

Blue (First Names Of Dallas Wings Players): ARIKE, AZZI, ODYSSEY, PAIGE

AZZI, PAIGE, ARIKE, and ODYSSEY are FIRST NAMES OF DALLAS WINGS PLAYERS. Their varied shapes make the roster connection harder to see at a glance.

The strongest red herring is AZZI beside AZZURRI, since their shared opening invites a false pairing with the Italian soccer set. ODYSSEY also hides comfortably as an ordinary dictionary word.

Purple (Associated With Italian Soccer): AZZURRI, ROSSONERI, SAN SIRO, SCUDETTO

AZZURRI, SAN SIRO, SCUDETTO, and ROSSONERI are ASSOCIATED WITH ITALIAN SOCCER. AZZURRI names Italy's blue-clad national side, SAN SIRO is Milan's famous stadium, SCUDETTO denotes the Italian championship, and ROSSONERI is AC Milan's red-and-black nickname.

This is a cultural association set rather than a single grammatical pattern. AZZURRI and AZZI create the board's most deliberate visual collision, but only the longer term belongs with the stadium, title, and club nickname.

The Verdict

The Tennessee set is the cleanest first break because NASHVILLE SC points directly toward geography and lets the other three franchises follow.

The real trap sits between AZZI and AZZURRI, two near-matching entries that belong to the Dallas roster and Italian soccer groups respectively.

The purple group is the streak-decider because it asks for several kinds of association at once, spanning a national nickname, a stadium, a championship term, and a club nickname.

Reset and Repeat

The AZZI and AZZURRI collision is today's standout construction, a tiny spelling gap separating two entirely different sports contexts. Reset the grid tomorrow and look for the near-match that is trying hardest to pull two groups together.

For now, puzzle #695 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.

Today's NYT Mini Crossword is live, and mixes crisp definitions, music trivia, British vocabulary, and a neat repeated-clue twist. Come ready to switch quickly between literal and figurative readings.

How The Mini Works

The Mini is a compact version of the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring a 5x5 grid with five Across and five Down clues. Saturdays expand to a larger grid with more clues. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime. No streak tracking here, but the built-in timer lets you compete against yourself or challenge friends.

New puzzles drop at 10 p.m. EST on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday's Mini arrives earlier at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 5x5

Total Clues: 10 (5 Across, 5 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 5A is the trickiest because the clue reads like an idiom before its literal culinary sense clicks.

Gimme Clue: 1D is the cleanest gimme, a direct workshop definition with no wordplay to unpack.

Theme Spotted: None today, straight trivia and wordplay.

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Instrument with an iconic solo in Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight"
Hint: For 1A, focus on the percussion instrument behind the famous solo in Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight.” Four letters, starts with D.

5A. It's in a pickle
Hint: For 5A, read the pickle literally and identify the salty liquid surrounding it. Five letters, starts with B.

6A. Elevators, in British English
Hint: For 6A, use the everyday British term for machines that carry passengers between floors. Five letters, starts with L.

7A. Certain choir voices
Hint: For 7A, think of choir singers whose range sits between soprano and tenor. Five letters, starts with A.

8A. Sports org. for the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls: Abbr.
Hint: For 8A, identify the abbreviated league shared by the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls. Three letters, starts with M.

Down Hints

1D. Carpentry tool
Hint: For 1D, picture the powered carpentry tool used to bore holes and drive screws. Five letters, starts with D.

2D. Personal fallouts
Hint: For 2D, seek a plural term for serious breaks in personal relationships. Five letters, starts with R.

3D. "Do ___ others ..." (start of the Golden Rule)
Hint: For 3D, complete the familiar opening of the Golden Rule with its traditional preposition. Four letters, starts with U.

4D. Pickle
Hint: For 4D, read “Pickle” as a difficult or disorderly situation rather than food. Four letters, starts with M.

5D. "Kapow!"
Hint: For 5D, supply a comic-book impact sound in the same punchy family as “Kapow!” Four letters, starts with B.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Instrument with an iconic solo in Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight"
Answer: DRUM

5A. It's in a pickle
Answer: BRINE

6A. Elevators, in British English
Answer: LIFTS

7A. Certain choir voices
Answer: ALTOS

8A. Sports org. for the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls: Abbr.
Answer: MLS

Down Answers

1D. Carpentry tool
Answer: DRILL

2D. Personal fallouts
Answer: RIFTS

3D. "Do ___ others ..." (start of the Golden Rule)
Answer: UNTO

4D. Pickle
Answer: MESS

5D. "Kapow!"
Answer: BLAM

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 5A, “It’s in a pickle,” yields BRINE and defines today’s puzzle because its literal food reading plays directly against the figurative “Pickle” at 4D, MESS.

Wordplay Winner: 4D is the wordplay winner: “Pickle” becomes MESS, while 5A uses the food sense to produce BRINE. The repeated word flips cleanly from predicament to preserved-food context.

Quick Fill: 8A, MLS, is the fastest confident fill because the named clubs and abbreviation identify the league immediately. Its letters complete BLAM, DRILL, and RIFTS at the bottom crossings.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank explicit abbreviations early. The club names at 8A make MLS a strong anchor and lock the endings of BLAM, DRILL, and RIFTS.

When a short grid repeats a clue word, test a different sense each time. Here, the literal BRINE and figurative MESS readings turn the pickle clues into mutual confirmation.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

The grid played fair while rewarding flexible reading, especially around BRINE and MESS. DRUM supplied the memorable cultural note, and the compact crossings kept everything tight.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and offers a lively mix of film trivia, contemporary terminology, and crisp wordplay. Settle in and let the short crossings open up the longer entries.

How The Midi Works

The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.

New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.

Quick Scan

In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:

Grid Size: 9x9

Total Clues: 29 (12 Across, 17 Down)

Trickiest Clue: 18A is the trickiest clue because its specialized digital-marketing terminology demands a precise compound expression.

Gimme Clue: 6D is the clearest gimme, since the peace-sign gesture makes the required count immediate.

Theme Spotted: “Frankly Speaking”

Clue Decoder (Hints Only)

Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.

Across Hints

1A. Unit of energy
Hint: Think of the SI unit used to measure work or energy. Five letters, starts with J.

6A. Professional screening bags at an airport
Hint: Picture the uniformed airport professional who inspects carry-on bags. Eight letters, starts with T.

9A. 1997 Hoffman/De Niro dark comedy whose name derives from an idiom
Hint: Name the 1997 political satire starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, titled after an idiom about distraction and control. Nine letters, starts with W.

11A. Block of rock
Hint: Think of mineral-bearing rock from which metal can be extracted. Three letters, starts with O.

12A. Alter ___
Hint: Complete the familiar phrase for a secondary identity or alternate self. Three letters, starts with E.

13A. Child with military parents
Hint: The clue seeks an informal term for a child raised in a military household. Eight letters, starts with A.

17A. Boyfriend
Hint: Look for an old-fashioned term for a male romantic partner. Four letters, starts with B.

18A. Specialized URL used in digital marketing
Hint: Think of a trackable marketing URL created for a particular campaign or offer. Nine letters, starts with P.

23A. Only city in the world that completely surrounds an independent country
Hint: Identify the Italian capital that encloses Vatican City. Four letters, starts with R.

24A. Pet name for a romantic partner
Hint: Use an affectionate pet name addressed to a romantic partner. Four letters, starts with B.

25A. Subsides, as the tide
Hint: Think of what the tide does as it recedes. Four letters, starts with E.

26A. Minor obstacle
Hint: Name a small hitch that briefly obstructs progress. Four letters, starts with S.

Down Hints

1D. Bar drink made with a German liqueur and Red Bull, familiarly
Hint: Picture the familiar bar shot that drops German herbal liqueur into an energy drink. Nine letters, starts with J.

2D. Kind of nondairy milk
Hint: Think of the grain-based alternative frequently ordered in coffee drinks. Three letters, starts with O.

3D. "Really? Again?!"
Hint: Supply a short groan of exasperation at an unwelcome repeat. Three letters, starts with U.

4D. See 7-Down
Hint: This completes 7D's baked-goods brand, so solve the paired clues as one familiar company name. Three letters, starts with L.

5D. Rear-___ (auto mishap)
Hint: Think of the term for a collision in which one vehicle strikes another from behind. Five letters, starts with E.

6D. Number of fingers held up when making a peace sign
Hint: Hold up the standard peace-sign hand and count the raised fingers. Three letters, starts with T.

7D. With 4-Down, popular name in baked goods
Hint: Join this with 4D to form the name of a baked-goods company known for frozen desserts. Four letters, starts with S.

8D. Wrap at a frat party, say
Hint: Picture the draped classical costume adopted at a stereotypical fraternity party. Four letters, starts with T.

10D. "What have you ___ for me?"
Hint: Supply the past-tense verb that makes the quoted question grammatical. Three letters, starts with G.

14D. Some images in a social media feed
Hint: Think of captioned, shareable images or jokes circulating through social feeds. Five letters, starts with M.

15D. 7'6" Chinese hoops star ___ Ming
Hint: Identify the 7'6" Chinese basketball star indicated by the clue. Three letters, starts with Y.

16D. Some flower producers
Hint: Think of underground plant structures that store nutrients and later send up flowers. Five letters, starts with B.

18D. Opposite of post-
Hint: Supply the short element meaning earlier, paired as the opposite of post-. Three letters, starts with P.

19D. Burglarize
Hint: Use a direct verb meaning to burglarize or steal from. Three letters, starts with R.

20D. McKellen who played Magneto
Hint: Identify the British actor who portrayed both Magneto and Gandalf. Three letters, starts with I.

21D. Org. with the Knicks and Kings
Hint: Name the professional basketball league containing the Knicks and Kings. Three letters, starts with N.

22D. Beer barrel
Hint: Picture the stout barrel used to store and dispense beer. Three letters, starts with K.

Full Answers

Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.

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Across Answers

1A. Unit of energy
Answer: JOULE

6A. Professional screening bags at an airport
Answer: TSAAGENT

9A. 1997 Hoffman/De Niro dark comedy whose name derives from an idiom
Answer: WAGTHEDOG

11A. Block of rock
Answer: ORE

12A. Alter ___
Answer: EGO

13A. Child with military parents
Answer: ARMYBRAT

17A. Boyfriend
Answer: BEAU

18A. Specialized URL used in digital marketing
Answer: PROMOLINK

23A. Only city in the world that completely surrounds an independent country
Answer: ROME

24A. Pet name for a romantic partner
Answer: BABE

25A. Subsides, as the tide
Answer: EBBS

26A. Minor obstacle
Answer: SNAG

Down Answers

1D. Bar drink made with a German liqueur and Red Bull, familiarly
Answer: JAGERBOMB

2D. Kind of nondairy milk
Answer: OAT

3D. "Really? Again?!"
Answer: UGH

4D. See 7-Down
Answer: LEE

5D. Rear-___ (auto mishap)
Answer: ENDER

6D. Number of fingers held up when making a peace sign
Answer: TWO

7D. With 4-Down, popular name in baked goods
Answer: SARA

8D. Wrap at a frat party, say
Answer: TOGA

10D. "What have you ___ for me?"
Answer: GOT

14D. Some images in a social media feed
Answer: MEMES

15D. 7'6" Chinese hoops star ___ Ming
Answer: YAO

16D. Some flower producers
Answer: BULBS

18D. Opposite of post-
Answer: PRE

19D. Burglarize
Answer: ROB

20D. McKellen who played Magneto
Answer: IAN

21D. Org. with the Knicks and Kings
Answer: NBA

22D. Beer barrel
Answer: KEG

Grid Breakdown

Here's what made today's puzzle tick:

Standout Clue: 9A, “1997 Hoffman/De Niro dark comedy whose name derives from an idiom,” lands on WAG THE DOG. It works because the title is precise film trivia and an idiom about reversing the expected order to manipulate attention.

Wordplay Winner: 16D wins the wordplay round with BULBS for “Some flower producers.” The clue makes “producers” sound like people or companies, then redirects it toward the plant structures that generate flowers.

Quick Fill: 6D, TWO, is the fastest confident fill because the peace-sign clue is visual and direct. Its crossings secure the openings of TSA AGENT, WAG THE DOG, and ORE.

Speed Solver Tips

Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:

Bank direct definitions such as JOULE, ORE, and TWO first, then carry their crossing letters into WAG THE DOG and JAGERBOMB.

Treat cross-references as a single task. Solving SARA and LEE together is cleaner than forcing either half from crossings alone.

Tomorrow's Puzzle

This grid treated solvers fairly, pairing sturdy short entries with lively long answers. WAG THE DOG supplied the strongest flash of personality.

See you at the next grid.

Today's NYT Strands is live for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 (Puzzle #898). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.

How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)

Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.

The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.

Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.

Theme Decoder

Today's Theme Prompt: "Fool me once ..."

What It Really Means

The prompt points to verbs for getting someone to accept a falsehood or follow a false impression.

Think About...

• A trick carried out through words.
• A false impression presented as truth.
• Someone being steered toward the wrong conclusion.

Spangram Clues

Orientation: Top to bottom down the board

Letter Count: 9 letters

Starting Zone: Row 1, letter 3

Progressive Spangram Hints

Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a person defined by false claims and manufactured credibility.

Hint 2 (Warmer): This person pretends to possess knowledge, status, or abilities that are not genuine.

Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is C, last letter is N

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CHARLATAN

Word-by-Word Hints

Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.

Word 1

Vague: Leave someone thoroughly confused through trickery.

Closer: This playful, old-fashioned verb suggests leaving someone both conned and bewildered.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 9 letters total

Answer

BAMBOOZLE

Word 2

Vague: Cheat someone out of something they are owed.

Closer: This compact verb is often used when someone is cheated out of money.

Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total

Answer

BILK