NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, August 10 (game #890)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, August 9 (game #889).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #890) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Back it up

NYT Strands today (game #890) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• FAST
• CURE
• STARE
• FIST
• TROOP
• STIFF

NYT Strands today (game #890) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #890) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: top, 3rd column

• Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #890) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #890, are…

• DATA
• FACTS
• FIGURES
• STATISTICS
• SPECIFICS
• SPANGRAM: PROOFPOSITIVE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I spotted “positive”, “proof” and “specific” as non-game words before seeing them as the spangram and adding an S to get to the SPECIFICS.

This, then, was a game of feeling around in the dark before gradually completing the board, rather than a smashing through — or maybe I was slower just because it’s a Monday?

Either way, it was a pleasure to complete a game celebrating the bedrock of good journalism, as opposed to the opinion and bluster that makes up most of the media landscape.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, August 9, game #889)

• LUXURY
• EXTRAVAGANCE
• TREAT
• INDULGENCE
• FRILLS
• SPANGRAM: IMWORTHIT

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/B1KMuno

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, August 9 (game #889)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, August 8 (game #888).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #889) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Isn’t that a bit much

NYT Strands today (game #889) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• RANG
• WRATH
• FRIED
• RULER
• FLIRTED
• THERE

NYT Strands today (game #889) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #889) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 1st row

• Last side: right, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #889) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #889, are…

• LUXURY
• EXTRAVAGANCE
• TREAT
• INDULGENCE
• FRILLS
• SPANGRAM: IMWORTHIT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

It was hard to ignore the two Xs on the board, so that’s where I began first — spying LUXURY and then EXTRAVAGANCE, although I did manage to start the latter with the wrong letter E, quite a drag for a 12-letter word.

After this burst I ground to a halt and busied myself with finding some interesting non-game words. A hint gave me TREAT, but I had to spend a good couple of minutes staring at these five letters before I connected them in the right order.

After all this, I think I’m going to pamper myself with a scoop of vegan ice cream.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, August 8, game #888)

• TRACK
• DROP
• LOOP
• CUTBACK
• TUNNEL
• CORKSCREW
• SPANGRAM: ROLLERCOASTER

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/hfWcSBi

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, August 8 (game #888)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, August 7 (game #887).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #888) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It has its ups and downs

NYT Strands today (game #888) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• NECK
• SORT
• COUNT
• CREW
• PULP
• CAPTURE

NYT Strands today (game #888) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #888) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: right, 6th row

• Last side: left, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #888) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #888, are…

• TRACK
• DROP
• LOOP
• CUTBACK
• TUNNEL
• CORKSCREW
• SPANGRAM: ROLLERCOASTER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After a Strands yesterday that made no sense it was a relief to return to the world of real words, albeit ones connected to a thing designed to make you feel unwell.

I say that because I always feel unwell on — or even at the thought of — a ROLLERCOASTER, but I know they bring a great deal of pleasure to lots of people — including my own family, who enjoy seeing me turn green.

These days, my favorite thrill is spotting a Strands word that goes up or down in a CORKSCREW and today I got that with the word CORKSCREW.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, August 7, game #887)

• GIZMO
• THINGAMAJIGGY
• DINGUS
• DOOHICKEY
• SPANGRAM: WHATCHAMACALLIT

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/VYQbUel

New Mexico judge calls Meta a 'public nuisance' that's like a factory emitting 'noxious pollution' in record $567 million fine — and even Meta's own attorneys agree

• Meta has been hit by another huge fine in New Mexico
• The ruling judge compared Meta's apps to polluting factories
• Meta says it's going to appeal the decision

Meta is in more legal trouble over the harms that its products — specifically Instagram and Facebook — can do to children, with a New Mexico judge slapping a $567 million (£422 million / AU$805 million) fine on the company, and suggesting that the damage done by these apps is akin to "noxious pollution" from factories.

As reported by CNN, the latest court ruling and financial penalty says that Meta's suite of apps "create a common, societal burden on and harm to the affected children and their families and schools, as well as hospitals and law enforcement".

Meta has said that it will appeal the decision, but its lawyers should recognize the factory analogy: they used it themselves during the original trial that got underway in February (via Courthouse News Service), arguing that a town factory shouldn't necessarily be held responsible for wider community problems it has nothing to do with.

The aim of Meta's lawyers in using the factory example was to limit the fines and measures imposed by the court, but it only partly worked. The mention of schools, hospitals, and law enforcement shows that the judge in the case, First Judicial District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid, thinks Meta has wider problems to answer for.

Mental health support

Mark Zuckerberg has lots to ponder (Image credit: Getty Images)

Most of the money that's being demanded from Meta — $420 million of it — is specifically earmarked for supporting community and family-based mental health services for the young people of New Mexico. The rest will be going towards mental health screening, prevention campaigns, and referral programs.

The latest fine is on top of the $375 million (£279 million / AU$533 million) in civil penalties that Meta was previously ordered to pay by a jury. This second part of the trial, with only a judge presiding, has now officially declared Instagram and Facebook a "public nuisance" in the eyes of the law.

There's more to the ruling than financial hits too. Meta is being ordered to delete all the accounts and data of users aged under 13, to turn off notifications from 8am-3pm on weekdays and from 10pm-7am on other days for users under 18 — at least in New Mexico. New accounts set up by teens should also be private by default, the judge has said.

Don't expect any of this to be implemented soon though — Meta has said it's going to appeal these decisions, which is likely to take an extended period of time. Even so, it's more evidence that the harms that social media can do to youngsters are now better understood, and that further action is very likely.

https://ift.tt/exktLIB

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, August 7 (game #887)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, August 6 (game #886).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #887) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Struggling to find the words

NYT Strands today (game #887) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LILAC
• CHIA
• THUG
• HICK
• TAIL
• WHIG

NYT Strands today (game #887) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #887) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 1st row

• Last side: left, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #887) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #887, are…

• GIZMO
• THINGAMAJIGGY
• DINGUS
• DOOHICKEY
• SPANGRAM: WHATCHAMACALLIT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

When you have a 13-letter word and it is not even the spangram then you know you have just played a difficult game.

Even though this only involved four game words, plus the (incredibly long) spangram, finding the words was indeed quite the struggle — even with the head start of a hint word.

Adding to the difficulty were slight regional variations, as I grew up calling things a “thingamebob” rather than THINGAMAJIGGY and had never heard of DOOHICKEY until I somehow put the letters together to form something approaching a word.

If you completed this without a hint then kudos.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, August 6, game #886)

• CHERRY
• REDBUD
• DOGWOOD
• HAWTHORN
• MAGNOLIA
• SPANGRAM: FLOWERINGTREE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/45V1Q7f

35 years ago today, the World Wide Web changed our lives forever — as Tim Berners-Lee says, ‘trading personal data for use certainly does not fit with my vision for a free web’

• The World Wide Web was created 35 years ago today
• It was initially designed for sharing documents at CERN
• Its creator says we can return to its spirit of openness and collaboration

These days, it’s hard to go long without connecting to the Internet in one way or another: whether through one of the best web browsers or by connecting to a smart home device, it’s something we often take for granted. The primary means of interacting online — the World Wide Web — has just turned 35 years old today, and its creator has a timely message that couldn’t be more relevant for modern users.

The World Wide Web is the creation of British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. Working at the scientific body CERN in the 1980s and 1990s, Berners-Lee wanted a way to store, update, and locate documents within the sprawling organization. At the same time, he sought a solution that would allow for these documents to be shared with outside bodies quickly and straightforwardly.

That desire led to his creation of the World Wide Web. It was announced to the public on August 6, 1991, with Berners-Lee humbly stating that “We are very interested in spreading the web to other areas.” It was a platform whereby anyone could link to any document in a database using hyperlinks, or links embedded in text, images, and other media. Importantly, multiple users were able to access this platform simultaneously and independently of each other.

Adoption quickly spread from CERN to other research organizations before being opened up to the wider public, whereupon it exploded in popularity. And 35 years later, it’s an invention that has turned the world on its head.

An absolutely vital component of this system was that it had to be both free and decentralized. Berners-Lee was adamant that anyone should be able to create a website and implement hyperlinks on their own, without paying a fee and without a central body dictating what could and could not be done. That principle of openness still stands today — but it’s increasingly under threat.

‘It’s not too late’

(Image credit: CERN)

Speaking to The Guardian in September 2025, Berners-Lee lamented that plenty of the web today is no longer free and open. “We see a handful of large platforms harvesting users’ private data to share with commercial brokers or even repressive governments,” he noted, adding: “We see ubiquitous algorithms that are addictive by design and damaging to our teenagers’ mental health. Trading personal data for use certainly does not fit with my vision for a free web.”

At the same time, user data is sold “to actors we never intended it to reach,” with the result being “deliberately harmful content that leads to real-world violence, spreads misinformation, wreaks havoc on our psychological wellbeing and seeks to undermine social cohesion.”

This is especially challenging in the age of AI, Berners-Lee argued. To put things right and get back to the original vision of his creation, the father of the web advocated for strong AI governance and guidance from organizations that are not motivated by data and profit but instead by collaboration and the needs of the individual. On this point, Berners-Lee quipped: “It is hard to imagine a big tech company agreeing to share the world wide web for no commercial reward like CERN allowed me to.”

As the World Wide Web turns 35, the spirit of “collaboration, creativity and compassion” that allowed it to be given away for free is being increasingly challenged by Big Tech — but Berners-Lee still thinks there’s time to put things right: “We can re-empower individuals, and take the web back. It’s not too late.”

https://ift.tt/E8MokfS

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, August 6 (game #886)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, August 5 (game #885).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #886) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Blossoming forth

NYT Strands today (game #886) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• WRATH
• LION
• GOON
• FLOW
• HATRED
• BEER

NYT Strands today (game #886) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #886) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: bottom, 1st column

• Last side: top, 5th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #886) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #886, are…

• CHERRY
• REDBUD
• DOGWOOD
• HAWTHORN
• MAGNOLIA
• SPANGRAM: FLOWERINGTREE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

This game came to me in stages.

First I managed to find CHERRY while searching for non-game words, then in the belief that we were looking for fruit trees I took a hint and was given REDBUD, which changed my thinking completely.

Spotting “tree” and “flower” I managed to put together the spangram and then complete the board. Like the act of gardening and maintaining a FLOWERINGTREE it felt like a long, but rewarding process.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, August 5, game #885)

• IDEA
• THOUGHT
• OPINION
• PLAN
• NOTION
• CONCEPT
• SPANGRAM: BRAINSTORMING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/jpiCsAX