NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, June 1 (game #90)

Weekend Strands are the best kind of Strands, because I have the time to play them at a leisurely pace, rather than frantically attempting to solve them alongside Wordle, Quordle and Connections before work. Not that today's took me too long anyway – it's a rather simple one. If you do need help, though, you'll find some below. 

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Start the day right

NYT Strands today (game #90) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• FLAG

• CHEAT

• SMELT

• QUAKE

• FAST

• CONE

NYT Strands today (game #90) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• At Tiffany's?

NYT Strands today (game #90) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 3rd row

• Last: right, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #90) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #90, are…

• BACON
• SAUSAGE
• WAFFLE
• QUICHE
• EGGS
• HASH
• OATMEAL
• SPANGRAM: BREAKFAST

---

• My rating: Easy peasy
• My score: Perfect

---

Quiche? For breakfast? Is that a thing? I suppose there's no reason why you can't eat quiche for breakfast, but then there's no reason why you can't eat macaroni, or pad Thai, or marshmallows or roast turkey with all the trimmings for breakfast. You do you. 

Quiche aside, this was remarkably easy. The theme clue was less a clue and more a direct guide to what to look for, and BREAKFAST, the spangram was the very first word I spotted. 

In fact, I solved this one without even uncovering a single hint word, let alone using one. This is something I've been discussing with a reader who emailed me about her game, and how she did the same thing; we're calling it a 'mega-perfect'. (I do still have hint words above for those who need them, but I came up with these after I'd finished playing.)

Anyway, the likes of EGGS, BACON, WAFFLE and OATMEAL were easy to find, and by the time I got to QUICHE it was the only word that fit.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday 31 May, game #89)

• SCARECROW
• WIZARD
• TWISTER
• RAINBOW
• POPPIES
• SPANGRAM: RUBYSLIPPERS

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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/5w4mv8Z

Quordle today – hints and answers for Saturday, June 1 (game #859)

It's Saturday, it's the weekend, and it's time for another Quordle puzzle. Is today's game a tricky one? You'll have to try it yourself to find out. But there are some hints below if you need them.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those games. 

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 #859) - 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 #859) - 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 #859) - 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 #859) - 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 2.

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 #859) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• L

• L

• G

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

Quordle today (game #859) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #859, are…

• DODGY
• LIBEL
• LANCE
• GROIN

My three set start words came up trumps again today. Take a look at the bottom left, for instance: I already had --NCE in place, plus yellow A and L to play. Clearly the answer had to be LANCE. That then gave me a green L for LIBEL in the bottom right, which came in handy later on for potentially the most difficult of the four quadrants.

DODGY, in the top left, was another one where I had a good start: DO--Y, which given the letters that were already ruled out, could only really be the actual answer, DOGGY or maybe DOOZY. One day I may change my strategy, but I can't think of a better one right now.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #859) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #859, are…

• SHUNT
• MAJOR
• MERCY
• PERIL

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #858, Friday 31 May: BRAWN, CINCH, WHOSE, GUESS
• Quordle #857, Thursday 30 May: DEBIT, HATER, PHOTO, SPIKE
• Quordle #856, Wednesday 29 May: CRUMB, MACRO, WHEEL, COMMA
• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE

https://ift.tt/037x5Aa

Google News is down for many: Here's what you need to know

No, it's not just you; Google News is having some issues this morning and is down for many users. Along with some folks taking to X (formerly Twitter) noting issues, Down Detector also shows a spike in outage reports as of 8 AM ET on May 31, 2024. 

We've seen the issue ourselves at TechRadar, with Google News on desktop showing an upside-down ice cream cone with the tagline "Uh-oh, something went wrong. Please try again."

Google's status page isn't showing an outage or an issue as of yet, but we've reached out to the technology giant asking for comment. Considering Google offers a vast majority of services, we're also watching to see if any others are being impacted.

(Image credit: Future)

Down Detector has been showing a spike in Google outages reported by users since about 8 AM ET on May 31st. Folks are noting in the comments section that Google News is the impacted service, specifically that the feed is down. 

(Image credit: Future)

Google News typically showcases suggested stories at the top, but currently, the two main bins appear broken, each with the same "Uh-oh" phrase. You can access that page here, but it's worth noting that Google Search's news box appears to be working as expected.

It's not just impacting the homepage for Google News either. Navigating to the various categories at the top, like U.S., World, Business, or Technology, among others, displays an empty feed. 

(Image credit: Future)

While Google's Cloud Services status page doesn't list this service specifically, it doesn't show an outage for any of its products worldwide. 

Similar to the status page for Cloud Services, Google Search's status dashboard shows all as operational. 

Like on desktop, Google News is also having issues on mobile. I'm seeing it down on both and several of my colleagues here at TechRadar are as well. 

(Image credit: Future)

On Down Detector and on social media, users from across the the globe – including in Italy and several states in the United States – are reporting issues accessing the service from either mobile or desktop.

It seems that Google News might have returned to normal for some users but hit a roadblock again, according to Down Detector, with a noticeable drop in reported outages and then a spike a few minutes later. In the comments section, some users note that the service is back up, while others say it's still not loading.

Google News is back up and running for me and several of my colleagues. Navigating to the main feed on desktop and mobile shows a well-populated carousel of stories.

Down Detector is showing a large drop in the number of reports of an outage as well with people in the comments noting that Google News is back to normal. 

https://ift.tt/P51L7M0

Chrome on Android just got a time-saving feature that you’ll definitely want to use

Google is rolling out a new feature to Chrome on Android called Minimized Custom Tabs, which, as of now, only works on certain first-party apps. Upon opening a link, you’ll find a downward-facing arrow in the top bar next to the close button, and tapping it shrinks the web page into a “floating picture-in-picture window” in the lower right corner of your screen. 

Tapping the window expands it to full screen, returning you to the source website. Better yet, you can drag it almost anywhere on the screen, and if you want to close it, you can pull it towards the bottom.

In a recent Chromium Blog post, Google wrote that the update “enables multi-tasking across surfaces” and it serves as a handy tool that lets you save a page for later viewing while you browse the internet, check your email, or are in another app. The feature itself is very similar to YouTube Premium’s PiP (picture-in-picture) mode. You won't be forced to launch Chrome and open a new tab. You are limited to just one mini window at a time, meaning you can’t cover a whole screen with them. 

Supportive tool

It’s important to mention that you can’t actually see the contents of a page in the mini window, and what is shown depends on the website. Some sites, when shrunk, display the name of the page, the URL, and the logo for it. However, on others, like Samsung's home page, there is no logo. It's just the icon of a globe.

(Image credit: Future)

As stated earlier, Minimized Custom Tabs works on a handful of apps. We managed to get the windows to appear from links opened on Gmail and Google Search. Chrome itself doesn’t have the function. Tapping a link on the browser simply opens another tab. The same thing happened when launching on a website on Google Maps, Drive, and Calendar – it just opens a tab on Chrome.

From what we’ve seen, Minimized Custom Tabs is primarily a supportive feature for first-party Google apps. As restrictive as that may be, it is still a highly useful tool, one we hope will see wider implementation. 

To try out the update yourself, download Chrome version M124 on your Android phone and you're good to since it’s turned on by default. If you'd like though, you can disable it at any time by tapping the gear icon in the mini window.

There is a crucial distinction to make about the patch. It’s actually being applied to the Chromium engine, meaning any browser built on Chromium, like Microsoft Edge or Opera, could one day introduce the Custom Tabs to their software. Third-party support, however, depends on the developers choosing to adopt the new function.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

You might also like

• Love Chrome’s Memory Saver tool? Google will soon give you more control over how aggressive it is
• Chrome may get its own Circle to Search tool and make your online image identification a breeze
• Gmail for Android could be getting a new Google Gemini AI button

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, May 31 (game #89)

It's time for the final Strands puzzle of the week, and it's a good one. Potentially quite difficult, too, but definitely good fun. If you need some help, you'll find a few clues below – if not, scroll down to see how I did.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

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

NYT Strands today (game #89) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• CROW

• BREW

• SWIPE

• PAIN

• SWORE

• PEPPER

NYT Strands today (game #89) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Close your eyes and click your heels

NYT Strands today (game #89) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 4th 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 #89) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #89, are…

• SCARECROW
• WIZARD
• TWISTER
• RAINBOW
• POPPIES
• SPANGRAM: RUBYSLIPPERS

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• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

---

Ah, the memories of being a kid, curled up on the sofa watching The Wizard of Oz… and being thoroughly freaked out by the witches, the weird flying monkeys and about a dozen other things. 

I've marked this one as moderately difficult, despite the fact that the theme clue, 'On the yellow brick road', was one of the least cryptic we've had so far. The reason for that is that the words themselves were quite hard to find – or at least that was my experience. It took me ages to find even one, SCARECROW, although that did at least lead quickly to WIZARD. 

I spotted SLIPPERS next, but that didn't change color no matter how many times I tried it (and believe me, I tried it multiple times). Then it dawned on me that it might be the spangram instead, and I finally uncovered RUBYSLIPPERS. With that in place the words fell into place far more quickly.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 30 May, game #88)

• CHUNKY
• BLOCK
• CONE
• KITTEN
• CUBAN
• WEDGE
• STILETTO
• SPANGRAM: HIGHHEELS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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/9Yue70A

Quordle today – hints and answers for Friday, May 31 (game #858)

The final Quordle of the working week (for some people) might cause you a few problems. If you're among those who get stuck with today's game, you might want to use some or all of my hints below.

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 #858) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #858) - 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 #858) - 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 #858) - 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 #858) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• C

• W

• G

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

Quordle today (game #858) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #858, are…

• BRAWN
• CINCH
• WHOSE
• GUESS

There are two ways to solve a word like CINCH, which has several potential solutions. One is to play a throwaway word designed to identify the correct starting letter, and that's what I usually do. However, it can be hard to guarantee a solve that way; -INCH has four possible solutions, WINCH, PINCH, FINCH and CINCH, and you might have needed more than one guess to uncover the missing letter, then a third to play the answer. I can't think of a word that contains three letters out of W, P, F and C, at least. 

Instead, I took the other route: leave it until the end and hope that one or more of those letters gets ruled out during the game. That worked for me today, because I realized the bottom left answer had to be WHOSE, then when the W in the top right didn't turn green I knew it couldn't be WINCH. P was already ruled out, so I had a 50/50 between FINCH and CINCH and although I got the first attempt wrong, I was still able to solve this Quordle with one guess remaining.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #858) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #858, are…

• THING
• STERN
• ALIGN
• PATTY

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #857, Thursday 30 May: DEBIT, HATER, PHOTO, SPIKE
• Quordle #856, Wednesday 29 May: CRUMB, MACRO, WHEEL, COMMA
• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE
• Quordle #838, Saturday 11 May: SPINY, FRAME, GOOEY, FERAL

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, May 30 (game #88)

How's your week going? If you're feeling smart today then when not try to solve today's Strands puzzle from the NYT without using any hints at all, in order to get a perfect score. Or you could use some of my hints, which again won't affect your in-game score. That'll stay just between you and me…

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pump it up!

NYT Strands today (game #88) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• THIGH

• THING

• CHUNK

• LOCK

• EDGE

• SLOT

NYT Strands today (game #88) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• If the shoe fits

NYT Strands today (game #88) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: bottom, 3rd column

• Last: top, 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 #88) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #88, are…

• CHUNKY
• BLOCK
• CONE
• KITTEN
• CUBAN
• WEDGE
• STILETTO
• SPANGRAM: HIGHHEELS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

The fact that I solved this Strands puzzle in only a couple of minutes, despite not really knowing much about the subject (and that's an understatement), proves just how easy it is. Several of the answers were laid out nicely along the edges of the board, and stood out quickly based purely on letter combinations: WEDGE, CHUNKY and BLOCK were all simple to solve in that manner.

That said, I had no idea what united those words. Uncovering CONE confused me even more. It was only when I spotted KITTEN and then CUBAN that the lightbulb went off in my head, and the others followed soon afterwards.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 29 May, game #87)

• WEIGHTS
• ROWER
• BIKE
• TREADMILL
• CABLES
• ELLIPTICAL
• SPANGRAM: FITNESS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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/P7YpwJb

Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, May 30 (game #857)

Today's Quordle is not too tricky compared to some – but as you'll see below, you'll still need to play carefully to avoid losing your streak. I very nearly came unstuck after making one mistake, and that tells you all you need to know about Quordle: it will punish you if you slip up. Read on for some helpful hints.

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 #857) - 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 #857) - 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 #857) - 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 #857) - 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 #857) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• H

• P

• S

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

Quordle today (game #857) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #857, are…

• DEBIT
• HATER
• PHOTO
• SPIKE

I made a silly mistake with today's Quordle, and the only reason why it didn't come back to bite me is because it's not really a very difficult Quordle overall. The mistake came with HATER, where I somehow failed to spot that the yellow H I had was already ruled out of appearing in the final position, then played EARTH. I fixed it on the next go, but was grateful for the fact that DEBIT and SPIKE were not too tricky, and that I had a couple of green letters already when it came to PHOTO.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #857) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #857, are…

• SLOOP
• OVERT
• GREEN
• COUPE 

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #856, Wednesday 29 May: CRUMB, MACRO, WHEEL, COMMA
• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE
• Quordle #838, Saturday 11 May: SPINY, FRAME, GOOEY, FERAL
• Quordle #837, Friday 10 May: QUASH, PERKY, ENSUE, HARPY

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Opera is drafting in Google Gemini to help supercharge the browser’s Aria AI assistant

Generative AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini have been around for a while now and are slowly infiltrating various products, the latest of which is the Opera browser, which is getting AI features powered by Gemini.

Opera made an official announcement yesterday, explaining that it’s collaborating with Google Cloud to enhance its browser AI, Aria, along with its text-to-voice and image generation capabilities. Opera powers Aria using its multi-LLM (large language model) Composer AI engine.

Opera observes that Aria makes its browser unique, as the Composer AI engine doesn’t just utilize one AI or one LLM provider. The engine processes what a user would like to do while using the browser and chooses the best model for the task at hand, and Gemini is now part of the options that Opera can leverage in this way.

Opera is one of the more popular browsers, especially for one that’s not a default or pre-installed app on an operating system, and it’s been incorporating novel generative AI technology into the browser for just over a year now.

(Image credit: Opera)

How you can try the new Aria AI for yourself

The catch here is that for now, the freshly boosted Aria AI is only available in the Opera One Developer version of the browser, which enables users to test the newest AI features and additions (including the new image generation capabilities that enlist Google’s Imagen 2 model on the Vertex AI platform).

You can download the Opera One Developer version from Opera’s website, but rather than trying a test spin of the browser, we’d recommend you wait for the Gemini integration to reach the finished version of Opera.

If you want to try an alternative to some other more popular browsers like Google Chrome, Opera is a good choice, especially as it’s based on Chromium. Chromium is Google’s open-source engine, which several popular browsers are based on, including Chrome and Edge, so you can easily import your history and bookmarks. 

Even if you don’t sign up to try the new version of Aria AI, the standard take on Opera, and Opera GX (the gaming spin), have AI-powered features already - and as mentioned, the newer Aria AI will make it into the standard browser eventually (unless it gets abandoned, which seems unlikely). Opera also offers other features that have given the browser a loyal fan base including Workspaces for file management, sidebar functionality, and a built-in VPN.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Opera One is a new AI-powered browser that aims to beat Chrome and Edge
• Opera can now block trackers with one click, and is keeping its free VPN service
• Opera’s new AI bot might tempt me away from Google Chrome

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Wednesday, May 29 (game #856)

Quordle is a simple game at heart, in that the challenge is merely to find four five-letter words. How difficult can that really be?! But in practice, it can be really tough, because solving one while thinking about the letters you might need for the other three requires a certain amount of planning. If you get stuck, you'll find some hints below.

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 #856) - 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 #856) - 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 #856) - 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 #856) - 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 2.

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 #856) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• M

• W

• C

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

Quordle today (game #856) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #856, are…

• CRUMB
• MACRO
• WHEEL
• COMMA

Another relatively straightforward Quordle today, despite two of the answers containing a repeated letter. I was fortunate with the way the letters fell following my three start words; in the top left I had yellow C, R and U, and decided to add M and B to make CRUMB. Not only was that correct, but it also gave me a green C and M for COMMA in the bottom right, which might otherwise have been rather more difficult. Plus, it turned the M in MACRO yellow in the top right, helping me to tick that one off too. WHEEL, in the bottom left, required a bit of thought, but I spotted it eventually and solved the Quordle with two guesses remaining.

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #856) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #856, are…

• SNARE
• LINEN
• ALPHA
• SPOOF

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE
• Quordle #838, Saturday 11 May: SPINY, FRAME, GOOEY, FERAL
• Quordle #837, Friday 10 May: QUASH, PERKY, ENSUE, HARPY
• Quordle #836, Thursday 9 May: WOUND, IGLOO, MEALY, PASTY

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YouTube is becoming unwatchable for ad block users – thanks to this powerful new crackdown tactic

The battle between YouTube and ad blockers is heating up again, with some YouTube users reporting that videos are now auto-skipping to the end if they're using extensions to block advertisements.

The new YouTube tactic has been widely reported on Reddit (via 9to5Google), with ad blocker users revealing that video playback immediately skips to the end of their video. This apparently continues to happen even if the video is immediately replayed.

While Google hasn't officially stated that this is a new tactic for dealing with ad blockers, it has escalated its crackdown on apps and extensions that remove advertisements in its videos over the past few months. 

For example, in April a Google post in a YouTube Community forum stated that viewers who use third-party apps like NewPipe "may experience buffering issues or see the error “The following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch a video".

This new auto-skipping behavior appears to affect multiple ad-blocking extensions including AdBlock, although there's some evidence that uBlock Origin has already found a workaround for the issue.

The other solution, of course, is to subscribe to YouTube Premium ($13.99 / £12.99 / AU$32.99 a month), which is undoubtedly what YouTube is pushing users towards with its ad block crackdown. But its tactics are seemingly nudging many towards doubling down on ad blockers, resulting in a game of whack-a-mole that's likely to run for a long time.

Is Premium worth it?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

YouTube argues that using ad blockers "prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership" and that the site's increasingly long advertisements "help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service".

The problem is that, with those advertisements becoming increasingly lengthy and unskippable, many users feel that YouTube is increasingly looking to boost its own bottom line as much as its creators' income.

In a parallel to Netflix's password-sharing crackdown, there is evidence that YouTube's ad blocker is working – back in November, ZDNet reported that Google's tactics had led to a record number of users uninstalling their ad blockers. And in February, YouTube reported that it had hit a new milestone of 100 million YouTube Music and Premium subscribers.

But with YouTube Premium also recently getting its biggest price hike in years, many are still holding out and using ad blockers and extensions like YouTube Enhancer to preserve an ad-free experience. With YouTube ramping up its battle with ad blockers, though, the game of cat-and-mouse will likely become increasingly hard-fought.

You might also like

• It's not just you – YouTube ads on smart TVs are getting painfully long
• Watch YouTube on your TV? Unskippable ads will soon get a lot worse
• YouTube is coming for ad-blocking apps – you might need to finally pay up for Premium

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, May 28 (game #86)

Today's NYT Strands puzzle is an easy one, in my opinion, but this is the kind of game where individual episodes will tax some people more than others. Knowledge of the subject in question makes a big difference, so if you're struggling a little then read on for some hints.  

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All atwitter

NYT Strands today (game #86) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• BRILL

• PART

• CART

• WHET

• SHEER

• SLOW

NYT Strands today (game #86) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Dawn chorus

NYT Strands today (game #86) - 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 #86) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #86, are…

• CLUCK
• TWEET
• CHIRP
• WARBLE
• TRILL
• SCREECH
• WHISTLE
• SPANGRAM: BIRDSONG

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

This is probably the easiest Strands puzzle we've had for a week or more. The theme clue was reasonably obvious – though I did initially wonder if it might be a reference to social media platforms, or online discourse. However, CLUCK was the very first word I found, and that immediately confirmed my stronger hunch that what I needed was words for the sounds that birds make. 

None of the other answers were particularly hard to find, with the likes of TWEET and CHIRP standing out quickly. The task got easier still once I uncovered the spangram and gave the board some structure, and I solved it all with a minimum of fuss.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday 27 May, game #85)

• SHELL
• WHEEL
• BOWTIE
• TUBE
• SPIRAL
• RIBBON
• ELBOW
• SPANGRAM: PASTASHAPES

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Tuesday, May 28 (game #855)

Tuesday's Quordle is not too taxing within the realms of Quordle – which means it's potentially still quite difficult. I'm not sure any Quordle could be described as easy, frankly! If you get a little stuck, you'll find some hints below to help you out.

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 #855) - 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 #855) - 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 #855) - 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 #855) - 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 #855) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• M

• D

• B

• T

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

Quordle today (game #855) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #855, are…

• MARRY
• DUTCH
• BRINE
• TACIT

Nothing major to worry about here. Yes, there are a couple of repeated letters (in MARRY and TACIT), but so long as you have a sensible strategy you should be fine. Mine is to play three set start words, STARE, DOILY and PUNCH, which between them use 15 of the most common letters in the game. That usually gets my game going pretty well, and indeed it did today: I already had 16 of the 20 letters I needed, including eight greens. Solving the words was pretty much a case of just filling in the blanks, which I did with two guesses remaining.  

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #855) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #855, are…

• LEASE
• SEWER
• THEFT
• BYLAW

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE
• Quordle #838, Saturday 11 May: SPINY, FRAME, GOOEY, FERAL
• Quordle #837, Friday 10 May: QUASH, PERKY, ENSUE, HARPY
• Quordle #836, Thursday 9 May: WOUND, IGLOO, MEALY, PASTY
• Quordle #835, Wednesday 8 May: SEVER, GLORY, RADAR, SMALL

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, May 27 (game #854)

The start of another week brings the chance to keep your Quordle streak going, or to restart it if you lost it yesterday. But be warned: today's Quordle is potentially difficult. If you get stuck, you might find my hints to be helpful.

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 #854) - 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 #854) - 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 #854) - 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 #854) - 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 2.

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 #854) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• L

• P

• E

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

Quordle today (game #854) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #854, are…

• PHOTO
• LURID
• PURGE
• EMCEE

EMCEE is that rare word that contains three of the same letters. I don't have details for every Quordle answer to say just how uncommon that is, but my analysis of every Wordle answer – which is likely to be very similar to the details for Quordle – shows that it happens a mere 20 times in the game's 2,309 original solutions. So, very rare.

Ironically, I solved EMCEE without any issues, but lost a guess on PURGE; for some reason I guessed PUREE first. That proved to be very helpful, though, because even though it was wrong, it gave me the double-E at the end of EMCEE. Lucky! 

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #854) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #854, are…

• GREEN
• LOAMY
• FRONT
• SCARF

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE
• Quordle #839, Sunday 12 May: BLAST, FRONT, CLACK, EAGLE
• Quordle #838, Saturday 11 May: SPINY, FRAME, GOOEY, FERAL
• Quordle #837, Friday 10 May: QUASH, PERKY, ENSUE, HARPY
• Quordle #836, Thursday 9 May: WOUND, IGLOO, MEALY, PASTY
• Quordle #835, Wednesday 8 May: SEVER, GLORY, RADAR, SMALL
• Quordle #834, Tuesday 7 May: DEFER, BOUGH, MISER, MAGMA

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, May 26 (game #84)

And so the weekend comes to an end with another Strands game from the New York Times. It's potentially a tricky beast, as many of them are, so read on if you need some hints for it.  

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Beyond Nashville

NYT Strands today (game #84) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• BRAN

• SAIL

• SULK

• BOOK

• BROOK

• STILL

NYT Strands today (game #84) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Walk the line

NYT Strands today (game #84) - 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 #84) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #84, are…

• HILL
• BROOKS
• CASH
• PAISLEY
• SWIFT
• URBAN
• TWAIN
• SPANGRAM: COUNTRYSTARS

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

---

This is one of those Strands games where the theme clue potentially makes it very easy – but where that may not help if you don't know a lot about the subject. The subject in question is COUNTRYSTARS, as per the spangram, though whether Taylor SWIFT can really be described as a country star these days is debatable.

Fortunately for me, I'm a huge Johnny CASH fan, and though none of the other musicians listed here and on my personal playlist, I know enough about the genre that I didn't struggle to find any of them. Maybe I would have done if the spangram hadn't been so easy to locate, but with that in place much of the hard work was done.  

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 25 May, game #83)

• TIME
• STAKE
• MOOSE
• LEAK
• CHILLY
• MEET
• PAIR
• SERIAL
• SPANGRAM: HOMOPHONES

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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/8NArenc

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, May 26 (game #84)

And so the weekend comes to an end with another Strands game from the New York Times. It's a tricky beast, as many of them are, so read on if you need some hints for it.  

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Two-step process

NYT Strands today (game #84) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• BEST

• DUNE

• FORGE

• BREED

• FORT

• GROVE

NYT Strands today (game #84) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Partners

NYT Strands today (game #84) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: right, 4th row

• Last: left, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #84) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #84, are…

• CEASE
• DESIST
• FORGIVE
• FORGET
• DIVIDE
• CONQUER
• SPANGRAM: ACTIONVERBS

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

---

This is a bit of a bizarre one, to be honest. There's nothing wrong with the concept – the theme clue, 'Two-step process', nicely sums up the idea of words that go together, such as CEASE and DESIST. But I'm a bit baffled as to why the spangram is ACTIONVERBS. I mean yes, they are action verbs – but that's really not the defining quality here. There are, after all, hundreds of action verbs, but the reason why these ones have been chosen is because they go together in pairs. 

OK, so, we've already had one Strands puzzle with PAIRED as the spangram, so I can see why the NYT wanted to avoid repeating that, but is there not a different, more relevant word/phrase that could have been used here. BEDFELLOWS or something.

Anyway, I managed to solve it, but there was a lot of trial and error involved. Each pair of words was essentially completed in the same way: find one half by playing words randomly until one turned blue, then look for its partner and find it very quickly. Not my favorite Strands game ever, frankly. 

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 25 May, game #83)

• TIME
• STAKE
• MOOSE
• LEAK
• CHILLY
• MEET
• PAIR
• SERIAL
• SPANGRAM: HOMOPHONES

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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/wOpnBY1