NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, November 2 (game #244)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #244) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Good on paper

NYT Strands today (game #244) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LATE
• LAST
• STALE
• STARE
• PUFF
• CLIP

NYT Strands today (game #244) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Stationery cupboard

NYT Strands today (game #244) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 4th row

Last: 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 #244) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #244, are…

• PRINTER
• SCISSORS
• PENCILS
• STAPLER
• RULER
• SPANGRAM: OFFICESUPPLIES

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

As the father of teenage daughters I am well aware of all of the OFFICESUPPLIES in today's Strands. Not because they work in an office, obviously, but because they are at school and seem to get through about 20 RULERs and 50 PENCILS a year, constantly need me to help them use the PRINTER and still seem a little clueless about how to use SCISSORS or a STAPLER. Kids today, eh? Too much time spent in front of a screen, clearly.

My own parental issues aside, this was an easy Strands puzzle to solve. The theme clue provided a good push in the right direction, and when I found PRINTER by accident my course was duly charted. None of the words were had to think of, and only the rather long and complex spangram provided any real challenge.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 1 November, game #243)

• QUEEN
• KING
• ROOK
• TIMER
• BISHOP
• PAWN
• KNIGHT
• BOARD
• SPANGRAM: CHECKMATE

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/BMuIqEk

Apple buys popular photo editing app Pixelmator – and Photos could soon get a massive upgrade

---

• Apple has just acquired the popular photo editing app Pixelmator
• There won't be any changes to Pixelmator's app "at this time"
• The move could be a big boost for photo editing on iPhones and Macs

---

Apple has just bought the popular photo editing app Pixelmator – and that could be huge news for photo editing on iPhones, iPads and Macs.

The news was shared by Pixelmator in a surprise blog post, which says that it's "signed an agreement to be acquired by Apple, subject to regulatory approval". That approval is likely to be a formality, given Pixelmator is far from the biggest fish in the image editing pool.

If you're a Pixelmator fan, you don't need to worry about big changes for now – the app maker says there will not be "material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps at this time".

However, it added to "stay tuned for exciting updates to come" and it's hard not look ahead to what Apple could do with the apps. The obvious parallel is Dark Sky, a relatively small startup that Apple acquired in early 2020, before folding it into its own Weather app.

It looks highly likely that Apple will do the same with Pixelmator's tech and its Photos app, which similarly exists on the iPhone, iPad and Mac. And that would be big news for photo editing on those platforms...

The new Aperture?

(Image credit: Future)

Apple once made a pro-level image editor and organizer called Aperture for the Mac, which existed between 2005 and 2015, when it was discontinued. This Pixelmator acquisition could potentially fill that hole – and also give Apple fans a powerful native alternative to the likes of Photoshop.

On the iPhone, many photography fans prefer Pixelmator to Adobe's apps. TechRadar contributor Paul Hatton recently wrote that the iOS app let him say goodbye to Photoshop, partly because it's designed specifically for iOS and iPadOS (so can take full advantage of Apple silicon).

We also rate Pixelmator Pro highly in our guide to the best photo editing apps for Mac, calling it a "great all-rounder" and better value than an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. If Apple does ultimately fold Pixelmator's tech into the Photos app, it could become even better value – perhaps even free, for Apple fans.

The potential for that move has understandably made Pixelmator fans a little nervous. Apple won't necessarily absorb Pixelmator into Photos, but it seems the most likely future scenario.

While Apple Intelligence does now power features like Clean Up for removing distractions from photos, the acquisition of Pixelmator suggests that Apple still thinks it's behind the likes of Google's Magic Editor and Adobe when it comes to native AI image editing and organizing.

That's certainly the case when you look at TechRadar's Phone of the year, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, but we could soon see Apple catch up

You might also like...

• This app let me say goodbye to Photoshop and I might be better off for it
• I tested Photoshop's new AI tool for fixing old photos – and it's seriously impressive
• I tested the Google Pixel’s Long Exposure photo mode – and it’s another reason to leave my pro mirrorless camera at home

https://ift.tt/bnNVLH7

Google's new AI-generated Talking Tours sound like the future of free guided city walks

---

• Google has revealed an experimental travel feature called Talking Tours
• It provides AI-generated commentary on over 50 locations
• You can try it out in the Google Arts & Culture app or website

---

Google made it pretty clear with its recent Google Maps upgrades that it wants to be your virtual tour guide – and a new Talking Tours experiment takes those ambitions to the next level.

Found in Google's Arts & Culture app for iOS and Android (you can also try it online), the Talking Tours feature gives you AI-generated commentary on big landmarks for 55 locations around the world.

But what makes it feel like a glimpse of the future of walking tours is the ability to let you look around a 360-degree panorama, take a snap, and then have the AI feed you information about what's in the scene.

Naturally, the audio guides are restricted to major tourist locations like the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. We tested it on one of London's three locations and it did a solid, if fairly basic, job of filling us in on the scene around the London Eye.

For this "first experimentation", Google says it worked with a "small selection of partners and cultural sites", with "more to be added in the future". But the use of AI-generated audio means it could potentially be scaled very quickly and become a handy free travel resource in the future – if Google doesn't send it to the Google Graveyard.

Just add AR glasses

(Image credit: Google)

Our early tests with Talking Tours show it currently isn't yet close to being a replacement for a real city walking tour guide – and likely won't ever match the human touch or anecdotes of an experienced pro.

But it is also a glimpse of the kind of free travel advice that isn't too far away. Combine a more advanced version of its AR-generated commentary with the smart glasses that the Google Play Store appears to be gearing up for and you could have a very useful, free city break assistant with knowledge of virtually anything you're looking at.

In our quick play, the Talking Tours' knowledge of the London Eye was fairly basic, but after we spun around to take a 'snap' (inside Street View) of the river, it recognized the boat and filled us in on the benefits of the city's riverboat cruises.

Google has previously dabbled with offering city guides in the likes of Google Lens and Google Earth, but the combination of computer vision and AI-generated commentary means the feature is potentially far more scalable – and Talking Tours could be our first taste of that future.

You might also like

• ChatGPT search is now live – and it could be the Google replacement you’ve been looking for
• There's no escaping smart TV ads, as Google TV adds them into its once ad-free 'apps-only' mode
• Struggling to find emails in Gmail? Google’s new filter could soon ease your headaches

https://ift.tt/7aYnAqU

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, November 1 (game #243)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #243) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Strategy game

NYT Strands today (game #243) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• COOK
• TIME
• RUNG
• SING
• SHIP
• SHIN

NYT Strands today (game #243) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Grandmaster's move

NYT Strands today (game #243) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 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 #243) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #243, are…

• QUEEN
• KING
• ROOK
• TIMER
• BISHOP
• PAWN
• KNIGHT
• BOARD
• SPANGRAM: CHECKMATE

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I'd love to really get into chess one day, to learn the various openings and strategies to be able to hold my own. Until then, I'll have to content myself with completing this chess-themed Strands game in record-quick time. It really was very easy. As soon as I found QUEEN it was obvious what the others words would be, and I've played chess often enough that I didn't have to wrack my brains to recall KING, ROOK, BISHOP, PAWN and KNIGHT. CHECKMATE indeed.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 31 October, game #242)

• GHOST
• MUMMY
• WITCH
• CLOWN
• PUMPKIN
• PRINCESS
• PIRATE
• SPANGRAM: COSTUME

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/syx6ODB

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, October 31 (game #242)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #242) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Trick or treat!

NYT Strands today (game #242) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• RINSE
• TRUSS
• POSE
• COPE
• MINK
• PUNK

NYT Strands today (game #242) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Fancy dress!

NYT Strands today (game #242) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 4th row

Last: 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 #242) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #242, are…

• GHOST
• MUMMY
• WITCH
• CLOWN
• PUMPKIN
• PRINCESS
• PIRATE
• SPANGRAM: COSTUME

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I'm a staunch traditionalist when it comes to Halloween costumes: they need to be spooky, otherwise what's the point? I think this might be yet another cultural difference between America and the UK, possibly, although I increasingly see it creeping up on us over here too, with more and more people attending Halloween parties dressed as, well, whatever they want. And I say stop this! Go as a GHOST, go as a MUMMY, go as a WITCH. Maybe go as a PUMPKIN – not scary, but Halloween at least – or just about a CLOWN, if it's a scary one. Then again, they're all scary in a sense.

Today's Strands isn't strictly Halloween themed, because the spangram is merely COSTUMES rather than having the word Halloween in there, but then again the theme clue was 'Trick or treat'. For that reason it took me slightly longer to spot PRINCESS (not acceptable for Halloween, sorry) and PIRATE (ditto), but really this was still among the easiest games in recent days.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 30 October, game #241)

• LICORICE
• LOLLIPOP
• TOFFEE
• CHOCOLATE
• GUMDROP
• SPANGRAM: CANDYSTORE

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/G4dBNJs

Chrome slowing down your laptop? Google’s new performance controls could help the browser run faster

Google is bringing in some new measures to help streamline Chrome’s resource usage and make the web browser run more smoothly, including updates to existing functionality.

Google announced the fresh moves, which are rolling out now, in a blog post, and the centerpiece of the changes here is a new ‘Performance Detection’ tool.

The feature proactively looks for performance issues and offers an immediate solution to the user. So, if you’re browsing a demanding website and things are slowing down a bit, Chrome might chip in to suggest that the pile of other tabs you have open could be deactivated to free up system resources.

Google notes you’ll be offered a ‘performance issue alert’ and this notification will come with a button to ‘fix now,’ so this is essentially a single click fix for any resource hogging problems – in theory, anyway.

Google has also bolstered its existing Memory Saver feature which frees up RAM from being gobbled by inactive browser tabs. This now has three settings: moderate, balanced and maximum (as previously rumored, although the settings went by different names in a past leak).

With moderate mode, Google says that Chrome deactivates inactive tabs based on ‘your system’s needs’ whereas maximum mode deactivates them more swiftly after you switch away from any given tab.

Balanced mode strikes a balance between your system needs and browsing habits, so as you’d expect, it’s a middle road (tabs which go inactive take longer to come back to life when you do return to them, so the maximum setting is aggressive, and not ideal in this respect).

Finally, Google has brought in some new options to tweak Chrome’s performance controls, so if there’s a website you don’t ever want to be inactive with Memory Saver, you can specify this (if it’s a site that works in the background for example). It’s also possible to turn off parts of the interface related to this functionality, such as the icon showing a tab is inactive, and details on memory usage for a tab.

---

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Pramata)

Analysis: More 'go-faster' stripes for Chrome

Google is making some useful expansions here in terms of achieving better performance with Chrome, but of course, all these features are optional – you don’t have to turn them on. If you don’t like the idea of your browser confronting you with performance alerts, the new Performance Detection tool can simply be disabled.

Chrome has famously been regarded as a memory hog and generally a sluggish piece of software historically, but that perception is slowly (ahem) changing, as Google puts more work into features like this to help the browser become a more streamlined force in the world of web browsing.

Even so, Chrome is not regarded as the fastest web browser out there by any means. But it’s definitely improving, although Microsoft Edge remains the top pick in our roundup of the best web browsers, and is notably nippier (though still not perfect in some respects, it should be noted).

You might also like

• Chrome could revolutionize search on PC with a big Google Lens upgrade that lets you Circle to Search images
• This handy feature has been promised to ChromeOS users for a while now - so where is it?
• Not interested in Chrome? Here's how to use Microsoft Edge

https://ift.tt/0zk7O8R

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, October 30 (game #241)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #241) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… How sweet!

NYT Strands today (game #241) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• ROPE
• PORE
• STOP
• COAL
• LICE
• NEAR

NYT Strands today (game #241) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Like a child in a…

NYT Strands today (game #241) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: top, 4th column

Last: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #241) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #241, are…

• LICORICE
• LOLLIPOP
• TOFFEE
• CHOCOLATE
• GUMDROP
• SPANGRAM: CANDYSTORE

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

This was one of those days where the theme clue did most of the hard work and I merely needed to fill in the blanks. 'How sweet!' immediately suggested candy – especially with Halloween upon us – so I searched for that word and found the spangram, CANDYSTORE. After that it was a case of simply wracking my brains for obvious types of sweet – CHOCOLATE, TOFFEE, LOLLIPOP, LICORICE… all the classics were here, plus GUMDROPS, which don't belong in that company, frankly. But I'd still eat them, of course.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 29 October, game #240)

• FRIEND
• PARTNER
• BESTIE
• COMPANION
• SIDEKICK
• SPANGRAM: TOGETHERNESS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/QAnXosV

Google’s AI Overviews are now available to help a billion people avoid reading full articles

Google is bringing its AI Overviews feature to more than 100 countries around the world, a massive expansion after initially becoming available just in the U.S. and later a half dozen other countries. AI Overviews, which employ Google's Gemini AI models to summarize answers to search queries, will now be available to more than a billion monthly users.

The paragraphs written by the AI Overviews feature are concise and include links to the sources used to compose them, usually articles from publications, business websites, or related sources. Google has claimed since they debuted that AI Overviews have led to increased engagement with diverse sources on the web.

Along with the geographic expansion, Google is also adding new language support to the service. Depending on where you are located and what language you use for Google Search, you'll see AI Overviews in either English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, or Spanish. The wider access based on location and language isn't the only upgrade for AI Overviews. Google has also unveiled a new link display to showcase the websites and content sources used to produce better AI summaries. The AI Overviews also now include right-hand link displays formatted for desktop and mobile devices. In them, you can see related content on websites, augmenting the in-line links within the AI Overview text.

“With AI Overviews in Search, it’s easier than ever for people to find the information they need and discover relevant sites across the web, which opens up more opportunities to connect with publishers, businesses, and creators.,” Google Vice President of Search Quality Srinivasan Venkatachary explained in a blog post. “Since launching in May and expanding beyond the U.S. in August, the feedback we’ve received for AI Overviews has been highly positive. People prefer using Search with AI Overviews, and they find their search results more helpful. So now, in our largest expansion yet, we’re launching AI Overviews in more than 100 countries and making them accessible in more languages — helping you search in a whole new way, no matter what questions are on your mind.”

Global AI Overviews

The global rollout makes it clear that the signs that Google was pulling back on AI Overviews were exaggerated. Though there was some speculation that Google was leery about promoting the feature after reports of incorrect and even dangerous answers, that's clearly no longer the case.

Google has even started testing advertisements within AI Overviews, at least for U.S. mobile users. These ads are labeled to differentiate them from standard search results but are aimed at encouraging users to look at and potentially buy products and services relevant to their search terms. Search is the heart of Google's business and remains so despite judicial battles over whether the company is violating anti-monopoly laws. If Google feels comfortable enough with AI Overviews to make it a global feature, the ads are almost certain to follow in its wake, with multilingual AI-generated links that will be seen by billions.

You might also like

• Here come the ads in your Google AI Overviews
• Google's AI Overviews goes global, hopefully without the rock-eating suggestions
• Google will turn those long documents into your next favorite podcast

https://ift.tt/Qtd8hqL

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, October 29 (game #240)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #240) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… You and me

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NAME
• MESS
• SITE
• BIKE
• DINE
• FINE

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Just the two of us

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: top, 4th column

Last: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #240) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #240, are…

• FRIEND
• PARTNER
• BESTIE
• COMPANION
• SIDEKICK
• SPANGRAM: TOGETHERNESS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Strands is generally at its easiest when the words are all simple synonyms – and today's is one such example. There are only five words to find, because the spangram, TOGETHERNESS, is so long, and the likes of FRIEND, COMPANION and BESTIE are all pretty obvious. Finding that spangram was the hardest part of it, but even that was only the work of a minute or so.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 28 October, game #239)

• PUMPKINS
• APPLES
• MAZE
• CIDER
• DOUGHNUTS
• HAYRIDES
• SPANGRAM: ORCHARDS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/nNItKXW

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, October 28 (game #239)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #239) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Fall fun

NYT Strands today (game #239) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PUMP
• PLUS
• AIDE
• PAID
• DIRE
• CHAMP

NYT Strands today (game #239) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pick your own

NYT Strands today (game #239) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #239) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #239, are…

• PUMPKINS
• APPLES
• MAZE
• CIDER
• DOUGHNUTS
• HAYRIDES
• SPANGRAM: ORCHARDS

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

---

I suspect many people will find today's Strands a lot easier than I did – but it may well depend entirely on where in the world you live. If that's the United States, then this may be easy enough, with the theme of 'Fall fun' and the spangram of ORCHARDS making perfect sense. For me, born and bred in the UK, it was all a bit alien. Sure, I know what an orchard is but it has no connection to 'fall' particularly, let alone to CIDER, MAZE or HAYRIDES. And then there's DOUGHNUTS, which seems entirely out of place here – and indeed out of place among all that fresh fruit and outdoor goodness. I think we have to chalk this one off as a case of transatlantic differences.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 27 October, game #238)

• CLASS
• PARTY
• LITTER
• LIFE
• CREAM
• CROP
• HEAD
• PICK
• SPANGRAM: PERFECTPAIR

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/Zb6nqAx

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, October 27 (game #238)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #238) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Best of the best

NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• FILE
• HIDE
• REAR
• CLASP
• PART
• PROP

NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• __ of the __

NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #238) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #238, are…

• CLASS
• PARTY
• LITTER
• LIFE
• CREAM
• CROP
• HEAD
• PICK
• SPANGRAM: PERFECTPAIR

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

---

Wow, this was far harder than the average Strands puzzle. And far more conceptual than many of the most recent games, which have essentially been related words about a topic you may or may not have had experience with. In contrast, this is all about language, really – all eight words are of the format __ of the __, for instance CREAM of the CROP or LIFE of the PARTY, with the first being the 'best' example of the second.

I had no idea what was going on for roughly half of the game, uncovering words at regular intervals but failing to spot any kind of connection between them – or between them and the theme clue of 'Best of the best'. It was only when I found LIFE that it started to make sense. I already had PARTY, and those two words obviously went together. When I found CREAM and then CROP in quick succession it was clear what I needed to do, and I was able to come up with the remaining words without any issues after that. But it's a challenging one, for sure.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 26 October, game #237)

• ARIA
• BALLAD
• SHANTY
• JINGLE
• LULLABY
• SPIRITUAL
• SPANGRAM: VOCALMUSIC

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/LvSAb2n

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, October 26 (game #237)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #237) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Sing-song

NYT Strands today (game #237) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• RAIL
• BALL
• BELL
• CABLE
• SING
• SALT

NYT Strands today (game #237) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• No instruments required

NYT Strands today (game #237) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 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 #237) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #237, are…

• ARIA
• BALLAD
• SHANTY
• JINGLE
• LULLABY
• SPIRITUAL
• SPANGRAM: VOCALMUSIC

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

---

I was mildly concerned when I uncovered ARIA as the first answer today. It was sitting prominently in the top-left corner of the board, and given that the theme clue was 'Sing-song' it seemed likely to be a solution. And it was. However, all I know about ARIAs is that they are an opera thing – and I know about as much about opera as I do about brain surgery. Probably less, frankly.

Fortunately, this wasn't a Strands puzzle all about opera, but rather one about VOCALMUSIC. Establishing that fact was not too tricky, because I spotted the MUSIC part of the spangram on account of the SIC part being right in the middle height-wise and on the edge of the board, which led me to the full phrase. I then got BALLAD and SHANTY easily enough because they were squashed in below the spangram. so far, so good.

Only then I stalled. I couldn't think of any other types of VOCALMUSIC and needed to use hints for JINGLE and LULLABY. I added SPIRITUAL by default, but was rather disappointed I hadn't done better here.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 25 October, game #236)

• CHIRP
• SQUEAK
• PURR
• GROWL
• BARK
• SQUAWK
• GRUNT
• MEOW
• SPANGRAM: PETSOUNDS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/DmICUjx

Quordle today – hints and answers for Saturday, October 26 (game #1006)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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

Quordle today (game #1006) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1006) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1006) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1006) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1006) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• C

• B

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1006) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1006, are…

• DUCHY
• CANNY
• BLOCK
• SMART

Well, this was about as easy as a Quordle ever gets for me. Like, really, really easy.

My strategy involves playing three set start words every day, and though I have experimented with other approaches, it's by far the most successful I've tried. Those three words are STARE, DOILY and PUNCH and today they gave me all five letters for the top-left answer, four for the top- and bottom-right quadrants and three for the bottom left.

The first of those merely needed me to solve an anagram, then – which I did to find DUCHY, possibly the hardest word here simply because it's not a widely used term. CANNY was the other contender for toughest to solve – it has a repeated N, after all – but there was no other option for me, so it was again rather simple.

SMART was another where the answer was given to me by my start words – I knew it was S-ART and didn't have any other letters that could fit but the M. So that just left BLOCK. Here I did need a bit of luck, because it also could have been FLOCK, but with only a 50/50 ahead of me there was no point in playing a word to narrow down those options, so I guessed BLOCK and solved it in seven.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Daily Sequence today (game #1006) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1006, are…

• SHALE
• SWILL
• TOWER
• DADDY

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1005, Friday 25 October: PRANK, EXIST, RUDDY, PICKY
• Quordle #1004, Thursday 24 October: DAIRY, RALLY, CURLY, LABEL
• Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE
• Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID
• Quordle #1001, Monday 21 October: TREAD, NINTH, GRIEF, UNSET
• Quordle #1000, Sunday 20 October: CORAL, WHOSE, HEIST, SOAPY
• Quordle #999, Saturday 19 October: GUSTY, BROKE, ENJOY, HAZEL
• Quordle #998, Friday 18 October: PUPIL, MOCHA, EGRET, NATAL
• Quordle #997, Thursday 17 October: BUILD, BIRTH, LURCH, SASSY
• Quordle #996, Wednesday 16 October: EERIE, SMIRK, HUNCH, EMBED
• Quordle #995, Tuesday 15 October: UMBRA, BRIEF, GRAVY, TORUS
• Quordle #994, Monday 14 October: ROGUE, STORY, EMCEE, AUNTY
• Quordle #993, Sunday 13 October: UNFIT, NYMPH, THUMB, PUREE
• Quordle #992, Saturday 12 October: SAUCY, UNDUE, EGRET, HELLO
• Quordle #991, Friday 11 October: RINSE, ANIME, PUSHY, ZEBRA
• Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
• Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
• Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
• Quordle #987, Monday 7 October: CAULK, HALVE, APING, HEATH
• Quordle #986, Sunday 6 October: FUDGE, TENOR, BEGAT, ROUSE

https://ift.tt/k6hK9Rp

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, October 25 (game #236)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #236) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Make some noise!

NYT Strands today (game #236) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• META
• QUEUE
• BARN
• BRUNT
• TOUR
• STEP

NYT Strands today (game #236) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Woofers and tweeters

NYT Strands today (game #236) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th row

Last: 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 #236) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #236, are…

• CHIRP
• SQUEAK
• PURR
• GROWL
• BARK
• SQUAWK
• GRUNT
• MEOW
• SPANGRAM: PETSOUNDS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

What better way to end the working week than by solving a Strands puzzle that's all about PETSOUNDS. No, not the Beach Boys album – though I would have been VERY happy to have had a Strands game with that as the theme – but rather the actual sounds made by animals. For instance SQUEAK, PURR, BARK, MEOW and CHIRP.

They're all pretty obvious, to be honest, so I doubt anyone here will have struggled too much. The most difficult element will have been to get started, but many of the answers are easy to find, so even that is unlikely to have troubled you by much.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 24 October, game #235)

• PEPPER
• ANISE
• CINNAMON
• CLOVE
• CARDAMOM
• NUTMEG
• SPANGRAM: MASALACHAI

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/vKLZzi9

Google Calendar finally gets an official dark mode on the web –here's how to find it

---

• The web version of Google Calendar has been given an official dark mode
• The feature is rolling out globally this week to all Calendar users
• Google has also given Calendar a "refreshed user interface"

---

If you've been patiently waiting years for Google Calendar to deliver an official dark mode, today is your day – the web version of the app has finally been given a darker optional color scheme, along with a mild redesign.

The news came in a Google Workspace blog post where Google said that it's introducing the ability to switch between light mode, dark mode, and default themes. As previous reports have noted, dark modes can give you a small battery life saving, particularly if you're using a device with an OLED screen.

(Image credit: Future)

The update is rolling out now, though it's also become available to a few members of the TechRadar team so far. To see if you have it, head to the settings cog at the top right of the page, then in the new drop-down menu click 'Appearance' (see above).

You'll then see the menu below – choose 'Dark' and you'll be treated to the eye-pleasing sight of the new dark mode. That's not everything that's changed either – the typography and controls have been tweaked in line with Google's 'Material Design 3' guidelines, which Google says makes it "more modern and accessible."

The calendar certainly looks cleaner to us, but the dark mode is the main improvement that we're particularly happy to see.

Warning: may cause extension headaches

(Image credit: Future)

In slightly less good news, Google says these changes may break some of your Chrome extensions if they "are active when using Google Calendar."

Google didn't elaborate on what extensions might be affected but said some "might not work as expected" and that you should contact the extension's developers with any issues. We'd imagine ones like G-Calize (for color-coding calendars) and Timely might be the kind of extensions that could be affected.

Other affected extensions could include some theme customizers that became available in the Chrome Web Store when it looked like Google was reluctant to make an official one.

Fortunately, that dark mode is now here – which is good news for both our eyes and laptop battery lives in general.

You might also like

• Even Google Calendar isn't safe from hackers any more
• Google Gemini's new Calendar capabilities take it one step closer to being your ultimate personal assistant
• Gmail and Google Calendar are getting an upgrade that your employees might actually like

https://ift.tt/IzEWG9c

Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, October 24 (game #1004)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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

Quordle today (game #1004) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1004) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1004) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1004) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1004) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• R

• C

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1004) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1004, are…

• DAIRY
• RALLY
• CURLY
• LABEL

This was a remarkably straightforward Quordle for me, despite the repeated letters in both RALLY and LABEL. All four words are very common, as are all 10 letters that are used here. And it's that final point that probably made the most difference today; most Quordles use a far greater number of distinct characters, for instance yesterday's had 12 and Tuesday's was at 14. Nine out of the 10 were in my three start words, too, with B the only letter I had to add to the mix. With three of the answers ending in a Y, two of them ending in LY and five Ls overall, if you simply played by probability today you'll have been fine.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Daily Sequence today (game #1004) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1004, are…

• GUISE
• MOVIE
• ANGST
• CLASS

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE
• Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID
• Quordle #1001, Monday 21 October: TREAD, NINTH, GRIEF, UNSET
• Quordle #1000, Sunday 20 October: CORAL, WHOSE, HEIST, SOAPY
• Quordle #999, Saturday 19 October: GUSTY, BROKE, ENJOY, HAZEL
• Quordle #998, Friday 18 October: PUPIL, MOCHA, EGRET, NATAL
• Quordle #997, Thursday 17 October: BUILD, BIRTH, LURCH, SASSY
• Quordle #996, Wednesday 16 October: EERIE, SMIRK, HUNCH, EMBED
• Quordle #995, Tuesday 15 October: UMBRA, BRIEF, GRAVY, TORUS
• Quordle #994, Monday 14 October: ROGUE, STORY, EMCEE, AUNTY
• Quordle #993, Sunday 13 October: UNFIT, NYMPH, THUMB, PUREE
• Quordle #992, Saturday 12 October: SAUCY, UNDUE, EGRET, HELLO
• Quordle #991, Friday 11 October: RINSE, ANIME, PUSHY, ZEBRA
• Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
• Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
• Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
• Quordle #987, Monday 7 October: CAULK, HALVE, APING, HEATH
• Quordle #986, Sunday 6 October: FUDGE, TENOR, BEGAT, ROUSE
• Quordle #985, Saturday 5 October: ELECT, CROAK, FRISK, JAUNT
• Quordle #984, Friday 4 October: ELFIN, GRAIL, PATIO, RECAP

https://ift.tt/bwn1xrd

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, October 23 (game #234)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #234) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On the road

NYT Strands today (game #234) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STEAD
• DATE
• DART
• NICE
• COIN
• CURT

NYT Strands today (game #234) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Highway information

NYT Strands today (game #234) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 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 #234) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #234, are…

• STOP
• MERGE
• CONSTRUCTION
• YIELD
• BUMP
• DETOUR
• SPANGRAM: TRAFFICSIGNS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

The only minor complication today, for me at least, was the need for me to translate UK TRAFFICSIGNS into US – for instance rather than YIELD, we have 'Give way', and we would say 'Roadworks' rather than CONSTRUCTION. But that was as difficult as today's Strands got – i.e. not very difficult at all.

It helped that I spotted STOP right away, before I'd even uncovered a hint word, thanks to its prominent position in the top-left corner of the board. That was enough to confirm my suspicion as to what was needed here, and none of the answers were themselves hard to think of or find.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 22 October, game #233)

• COBALT
• AZURE
• TURQUOISE
• INDIGO
• NAVY
• PERIWINKLE
• SPANGRAM: THEBLUES

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/SewTEPI

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, October 22 (game #233)

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #233) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cool color!

NYT Strands today (game #233) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEAN
• BEES
• SAGE
• BOLT
• COAT
• WIRE

NYT Strands today (game #233) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Sky and sea

NYT Strands today (game #233) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: right, 5th row

Last: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #233) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #233, are…

• COBALT
• AZURE
• TURQUOISE
• INDIGO
• NAVY
• PERIWINKLE
• SPANGRAM: THEBLUES

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

The theme clues for Strands can sometimes give away too much, and today was one of those days. 'Cool color!' screamed the hint, so clearly it was going to be shades of a particular color; 'cool' made it obvious it would be blue.

That didn't make finding them all that simple of course, because though I got COBALT and AZURE near the top of the board early, then uncovered TURQUOISE by focusing on what the Q could go with, I got a little stuck for a while after that. I could see the word BLUE in the middle of the board and figured it would be part of the spangram, but it took me a while to establish that I needed THEBLUES. The other answers slotted into place fairly easily after that.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 21 October, game #232)

• PACK
• HERD
• FLOCK
• SWARM
• SCHOOL
• PRIDE
• KNOT
• COLONY
• SPANGRAM: GROUPNAME

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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/mrnGjhN