NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, August 1 (game #151)

Here's another potentially easy Strands puzzle for you – but only 'potentially' because in my experience different Strands games can cause trouble for different people. See how you get on, and take advantage of my hints if you need them.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Not stirred

NYT Strands today (game #151) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NASTY
• SOOT
• STOOD
• TRAIN
• BAKE
• RAMEN

NYT Strands today (game #151) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Given a jiggle

NYT Strands today (game #151) - 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 #151) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #151, are…

• SALT
• MARACA
• RATTLE
• HAIRSPRAY
• MARTINI
• BOOTY
• HANDS
• SPANGRAM: SHAKEN

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

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I'm annoyed at myself today. Very annoyed. No, I didn't fail – but I needed one of the NYT's in-game hints when really I could and should have solved it without. The theme clue was really obvious, and as soon as I saw 'Not stirred' I thought 'shaken'! But for some reason it didn't occur to me that the answer might be quite so simple as that, so I didn't even look for the word SHAKEN, which was the spangram. If I had, I wouldn't have needed the hint to set me on my way, because all of the answers were pretty easy. Silly silly silly.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 31 July, game #150)

• EPOXY
• GLUE
• BUBBLEGUM
• ADHESIVE
• TAPE
• CARAMEL
• SPANGRAM: STICKYSTUFF

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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.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, August 1 (game #920)

The first Quordle of the month is not too bad at all, but there are hints below if you need them anyway. I promise I won't judge you.

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 #920) - 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 #920) - 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 #920) - 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 #920) - 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 3.

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

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• C

• S

• S

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

Quordle today (game #920) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #920, are…

• SUING
• CRAFT
• STUFF
• SPIKE

Another easy Quordle here, on account of three of the words starting with the same letter. What's more, that letter is S – the most common starting letter in Wordle and therefore almost certainly the most common here too.

Players of common letters will have had a good time of it, in fact, with T appearing in two answers and placings for R, A, E, I and N on the board too. The K in SPIKE is the only fairly uncommon letter, but all four words are well known, so I don't expect any problems for most people today.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #920) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #920, are…

• CHAIR
• SPELL
• CHASE
• COUPE

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #919, Wednesday 31 July: NOSEY, SHEIK, PHONE, SKIER
• Quordle #918, Tuesday 30 July: TAWNY, INDEX, SHOOK, SALVE
• Quordle #917, Monday 29 July: QUIET, ORDER, LEAVE, TODDY
• Quordle #916, Sunday 28 July: GAUGE, EASEL, GIRTH, LATER
• Quordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSE
• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Wednesday, July 31 (game #919)

The final Quordle of the month is a potentially tricky one, but there are hints below if you need them. Good luck!

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 #919) - 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 #919) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #919) - 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 #919) - 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 #919) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• S

• P

• S

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

Quordle today (game #919) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #919, are…

• NOSEY
• SHEIK
• PHONE
• SKIER

There are days when my start words just work wonderfully well. Today's Quordle is potentially quite tricky, thanks to the presence of the K in SKIER and SHEIK, and the fact that SHEIK in particular is not a word that may jump readily to mind. But in my case I already had S-I-- with yellow E and R for the bottom right, and that left SKIER as the only valid option. With that in place, I had the K for SHEIK too, and the rest was a formality.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #919) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #919, are…

• HUMID
• DRIER
• GRIEF
• DICEY

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #918, Tuesday 30 July: TAWNY, INDEX, SHOOK, SALVE
• Quordle #917, Monday 29 July: QUIET, ORDER, LEAVE, TODDY
• Quordle #916, Sunday 28 July: GAUGE, EASEL, GIRTH, LATER
• Quordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSE
• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY

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Chrome could revolutionize search on PC with a big Google Lens upgrade that lets you Circle to Search images

Google Chrome on the desktop is going to get the equivalent of the popular Circle to Search feature on mobiles, and the ability, powered by Google Lens, should arrive in the browser soon.

As 9 to 5 Google reports, on a Chromebook, the feature will be activated by clicking on a Google Lens icon in the URL bar of the Chrome browser, but it’ll be a bit more hidden on Windows 11 or macOS. Outside of ChromeOS, you’ll need to head into the Chrome menu and select ‘Search with Google Lens.’

Whichever route you take, once you fire up the feature, you can highlight something on a web page that you want to search for (using a resizable box), whether that’s an element of a picture or video.

The image search results will then swiftly be presented to you in a sidebar in the same tab as the web page.

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(Image credit: Konstantin Savusia / Shutterstock.com)

Analysis: A very welcome polish for Chrome

This is a relatively small change in some respects – the addition of just a small icon, or a menu option in Windows/Mac – but it’s one that could have a major impact on how you search using Google Chrome.

Whatever you’re looking at in your desktop browser, if you’re curious about something you spot in, say, the background of a video – “what’s that car?” for example – you can simply pause the clip, fire up Search with Google Lens, swiftly highlight said car, and boom, you’re (hopefully) fully informed about the vehicle. (And you can use the search box in the side panel to further explore details on it, if you wish).

This is a really smart change in our books, but it’s not here just yet. As 9 to 5 Google observes, after being hidden in development for some time, the feature is now live in the recent Chrome 128 beta (and ChromeOS beta too). With the functionality also written up in the ‘what’s new’ in Chrome page, the expectation is that this Google Lens search option is set to debut shortly.

You might also like

• These are the best web browsers around right now
• 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

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, July 30 (game #149)

Today's NYT Strands puzzle might prove difficult to solve if, like me, you know very little about the theme. There are hints below if you need them.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's a stretch!

NYT Strands today (game #149) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• ROOM
• TRIAGE
• GRID
• DIRGE
• BROW
• PEER

NYT Strands today (game #149) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Getting yourself in a twist

NYT Strands today (game #149) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: right, 3rd row

• Last: left, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #149) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #149, are…

• CHAIR
• CROW
• TREE
• COBRA
• BRIDGE
• WARRIOR
• MOUNTAIN
• SPANGRAM: YOGAPOSES

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 4 hints

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I have never done yoga, and I almost certainly never will do yoga. My knowledge of yoga is at best minimal. So, yes, I struggled to solve today's Strands. I'm not complaining; millions of people do yoga every day, it's a perfectly legitimate inclusion in the game, but it's just not right for me.

I therefore needed a combination of lucky guesses and hints to solve it, which never makes for the most satisfying experience. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday 29 July, game #148)

• MEET
• LEARN
• STUDY
• READ
• RENEW
• BORROW
• BROWSE
• SPANGRAM: PUBLICLIBRARY

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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.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Tuesday, July 30 (game #918)

Here's another difficult Quordle puzzle to get your brain working on a Tuesday morning. Or any time on a Tuesday, for that matter; so long as you play before midnight, it's up to you when you complete it.

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 #918) - 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 #918) - 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 #918) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #918) - 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 #918) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• I

• S

• S

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

Quordle today (game #918) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #918, are…

• TAWNY
• INDEX
• SHOOK
• SALVE

This is a fairly standard Quordle, in that it's moderately difficult. That's the default, right? Fairly hard is the norm, easy the exception. There's an X here, immediately complicating things, plus a repeated O in SHOOK. TAWNY is a relatively uncommon word, SALVE maybe so too. I got there, but it was always a struggle.

The Daily Sequence, meanwhile, was like a greatest hits of difficult Quordle words: MYRRH? Wow. DOZEN? Yep. ESTER? You got it. Good luck with that one.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #918) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #918, are…

• BUDGE
• MYRRH
• DOZEN
• ESTER

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #917, Monday 29 July: QUIET, ORDER, LEAVE, TODDY
• Quordle #916, Sunday 28 July: GAUGE, EASEL, GIRTH, LATER
• Quordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSE
• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, July 29 (game #917)

Today's Quordle is a potentially difficult one, even more so than usual, so read on if you need a little help.

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 #917) - 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 #917) - 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 3.

Quordle today (game #917) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #917) - 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 #917) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• Q

• O

• L

• T

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

Quordle today (game #917) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #917, are…

• QUIET
• ORDER
• LEAVE
• TODDY

Ooh, this is a potentially nasty Quordle puzzle. Three of the answers contain a repeated letter, the other one an uncommon Q. I needed all nine guesses to complete it, and my streak was undoubtedly at risk going into guess 8. In fact, I got lucky with that one when I guessed BLAME rather foolishly; if the answer had been GLAZE or FLAKE I'd have faced a 50/50 on the final guess. As it happened, the L stayed yellow, which meant it had to be LEAVE. Phew!

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #917) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #917, are…

• FORTH
• HEAVY
• MANOR
• BONGO

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #916, Sunday 28 July: GAUGE, EASEL, GIRTH, LATER
• Quordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSE
• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN
• Quordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Sunday, July 28 (game #916)

How's your weekend going? Hopefully you're nice and relaxed, because Quordle is never a game to rush. If you need some hints, you'll find them below.

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 #916) - 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 #916) - 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 #916) - 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 #916) - 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 #916) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• E

• G

• L

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

Quordle today (game #916) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #916, are…

• GAUGE
• EASEL
• GIRTH
• LATER

This was a pretty easy Quordle for me, despite the presence of a repeated G in GAUGE and repeated E in EASEL. But in truth, I got lucky with start-word strategy, which today gave me all five letters for LATER and four for EASEL and GIRTH. I only had three for GAUGE initially, but by the time I solved it – on the seventh guess – I'd added a green G into the mix, making that another simple one.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #916) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #916, are…

• TRIPE
• TOUCH
• CHARD
• SWORN

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #915, Saturday 27 July: LEAFY, MOUTH, GLAZE, RINSE
• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN
• Quordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD
• Quordle #896, Monday 8 July: DATUM, SLUMP, CHUMP, KNOLL

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, July 28 (game #147)

I found the second Strands puzzle of the weekend to be a lot easier than the first, but your experience may be different. If it is, you can take advantage of my hints 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 #147) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Daily delivery

NYT Strands today (game #147) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MISTER
• PLANE
• GLEAN
• MICE
• SNAP
• SPAN

NYT Strands today (game #147) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Read all about it

NYT Strands today (game #147) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: top 3rd column

• Last: bottom 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #147) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #147, are…

• JOURNAL
• TRIBUNE
• CHRONICAL
• TIMES
• GLOBE
• HERALD
• SPANGRAM: NEWSPAPER

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I'd have been a bit annoyed at myself if I'd have got this one wrong – after all, I've worked at several newspapers during my career. The hardest thing today, as it often is, was working out what the theme was, but once that was in place it was a piece of cake.

I found the spangram first, after giving a little thought to what the theme of 'daily delivery' could make. I looked for the likes of LETTERS and PARCELS, then MILK, then spotted NEWS and thought aha! NEWSPAPER was easy after that, and then the likes of JOURNAL and HERALD fell into place with a minimum of fuss.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 27 July, game #146)

• CLOCKS
• NOBODY
• SOCKS
• MITTENS
• MUSH
• KITTENS
• SPANGRAM: GOODNIGHTMOON

---

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.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Saturday, July 27 (game #915)

Here's your daily Quordle hints page for Saturday. You may need some today; but then again, they're almost always useful.

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 #915) - 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 #915) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #915) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #915) - 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 #915) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• M

• G

• R

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

Quordle today (game #915) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #915, are…

• LEAFY
• MOUTH
• GLAZE
• RINSE

Whatever your Quordle strategy, you'll probably need to use outright guesses at some point in the game, and it helps to be lucky when you do so. That was my experience today; my three start words give me a good opening, but I got lucky with MOUTH in the top right (the answer could also have been TOUGH) and then similarly with LEAFY in the top left (it could also have been LEAKY).

Get those answers wrong and I might well have struggled to solve today's game, given that the final one I attempted was GLAZE – and I used up a guess there on BLAZE. Still, you've got to ride your luck, eh?

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #915) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #915, are…

• MATEY
• ITCHY
• POLYP
• FETCH

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #914, Friday 26 July: NUTTY, TATTY, SHUSH, THIGH
• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN
• Quordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD
• Quordle #896, Monday 8 July: DATUM, SLUMP, CHUMP, KNOLL
• Quordle #895, Sunday 7 July: STEAM, STAID, SCOUR, WHERE

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, July 26 (game #145)

Here's a nice, easy Strands puzzle to round off the week. I say it's easy – you might disagree of course. There are hints below if you need them.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Go for the gold

NYT Strands today (game #145) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SWAG
• SWAM
• QUEST
• SQUARE
• STARE
• SCARE

NYT Strands today (game #145) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• The games

NYT Strands today (game #145) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 6th row

• Last: right, 2nd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #145) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #145, are…

• TRACK
• SWIMMING
• KARATE
• GOLF
• EQUESTRIAN
• ARCHERY
• SPANGRAM: OLYMPICS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Here's a nice timely Strands puzzle, given the Paris 2024 Olympics officially begins today. It's an easy one, too, with the theme clue of 'Go for the gold' pointing rather obviously towards OLYMPICS as the spangram and the likes of ARCHERY and SWIMMING as answers. And yes, GOLF is in there too; that's an Olympic sport this year.

Interestingly, TRACK technically shouldn't be included, because it's called 'athletics' elsewhere in the world, including in the official Olympics listings, but we'll let this one slide…

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 25 July, game #144)

• SWING
• FUNK
• FUSION
• ACID
• COOL
• BEBOP
• MODAL
• RAGTIME
• SPANGRAM: SUBGENRE

---

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.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Friday, July 26 (game #914)

Today's Quordle could go either way – and much will depend on whether you get lucky with your first couple of guesses. If you don't want to leave things to chance, my hints below may help you out.

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 #914) - 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 #914) - 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 4.

Quordle today (game #914) - 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 #914) - 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 #914) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• T

• S

• T

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

Quordle today (game #914) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #914, are…

• NUTTY
• TATTY
• SHUSH
• THIGH

It's a repeat-heavy Quordle puzzle today, with repeated Ts in NUTTY and TATTY (three of them in the latter!), repeated S and H in SHUSH, another repeated H in THIGH. As a result of all that there were very few letters used today; only nine of them, in the form of N, U, T, Y, A, S, H, I and G. If you had them in your start words, you'll have been off to a good beginning – but still with work to do. If you didn't, or indeed if you don't have a strategy in that regard, you may well have found this to be a tough one.

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #914) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #914, are…

• HOUSE
• BUGLE
• DODGE
• BREAD

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #913, Thursday 25 July: BLURB, PENCE, PHASE, SKIMP
• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN
• Quordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD
• Quordle #896, Monday 8 July: DATUM, SLUMP, CHUMP, KNOLL
• Quordle #895, Sunday 7 July: STEAM, STAID, SCOUR, WHERE
• Quordle #894, Saturday 6 July: GRAIN, VIDEO, OLDER, FROCK

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OpenAI officially takes on Google with SearchGPT – but not everybody gets access for now

After months of speculation, OpenAI's search engine, SearchGPT, is here but only as a prototype and in limited testing. Even so, it's a watershed moment for the generative AI company and may represent the first substantial challenge to Google's Search engine dominance.

OpenAI announced that it's testing SearchGPT in a blog post on Thursday. It calls it a "temporary prototype" and only posts a waiting list for access. Even so, we're learning a lot about the kind of results you can expect from SearchGPT.

The main screen will start with an open prompt box pre-filled with the phrase, "What are you looking for?" It will accept natural language queries, which is not unlike Google, but unlike the world's most popular search engine, SearchGPT will accept follow-up queries.

One example is a search for "Best tomatoes to grow in Minnesota" and then a follow-up query, "Which of these can I plant now?" OpenAI implies that the context will be maintained through additional queries, a feat not currently possible with Google or Microsoft's Bing search engine.

OpenAI's development of a search engine is notable, considering that the initial version of its Large Language Model (LLM)-based ChatGPT did not have access to the web for real-time information. Its data training stopped somewhere in 2021. 

SearchGPT will, by contrast, according to OpenAI, "combine the strength of our AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources."

(Image credit: Future)

OpenAI does make it clear that SearchGPT will cite its sources and include direct links to them, something that it's not always clear that Google's new Gemini AI-based search results are doing. There is a sense that OpenAI is trying to play the role of a good search engine citizen by promising to help users "discover publishers' sites and experiences." Considering how many publishers and content creators are currently suing OpenAI for allegedly scrapping their data to train its models, it's a notable stance.

The AI company is already lining up publisher partners like The Atlantic.

"AI search is going to become one of the key ways that people navigate the internet, and it's crucial, in these early days, that the technology is built in a way that values, respects, and protects journalism and publishers. We look forward to partnering with OpenAI in the process, and creating a new way for readers to discover The Atlantic," said The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson in the SearchGPT blog post.

Perhaps as an end run around current data scrapping litigation, OpenAI points out that "SearchGPT is about search and is separate from training OpenAI’s generative AI foundation models," and adds publisher results will be included even if they do not agree to OpenAI's generative training.

SearchGPT is also promising more visual search results that appear to look little like the ones you might expect from Google or Bing.

SearchGPT will be a standalone AI search engine, but OpenAI plans to eventually integrate it into ChatGPT, which may make that platform far more powerful and useful.

The arrival of SearchGPT comes just weeks after Google integrated Gemini Generative Search results at the top of many search results pages as AIO overviews. It was a move met with some chagrin by those who rely on Google for quick, no-nonsense results and by publishers who worry their results and links are getting pushed further down on the page. Google was likely spurred partly to make the AI move by Bing, which owns first-mover status in the AI search space with generative AI based on OpenAI's ChatGPT. In a way, it feels like AI search has come full circle. The question remains, though, is this what people want from search?

You can sign up for the waitlist (you need a ChatGPT account) here.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, July 25 (game #913)

Today's Quordle is a middling kind of game, not too hard, not too easy. It'll challenge you, because they all do, but it's not impossible. Read on if you need some hints though.

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 #913) - 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 #913) - 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 #913) - 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 #913) - 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 #913) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• P

• P

• S

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

Quordle today (game #913) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #913, are…

• BLURB
• PENCE
• PHASE
• SKIMP

Two repeated letters are the only real complications in today's Quordle, but one of those is much more of a pain than the other. The repeated Bs in BLURB are not common at all; in Wordle, which is very likely to have similar probability to Quordle, there are only 13 games out of 2,309 that contain more than one B. E, on the other hand, is the most common letter to be repeated and in fact two Es are far more likely than getting one of several other letters.

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #913) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #913, are…

• TOPIC
• GROUP
• GRILL
• DEUCE

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #912, Wednesday 24 July: FUSSY, PRIMO, THOSE, HEARD
• Quordle #911, Tuesday 23 July: CLIFF, SIXTY, FAITH, GRAPH
• Quordle #910, Monday 22 July: GRAIN, AGAIN, BRICK, APTLY
• Quordle #909, Sunday 21 July: LIVER, PERIL, JEWEL, PROWL
• Quordle #908, Saturday 20 July: WAIST, THINK, PROSE, BATHE
• Quordle #907, Friday 19 July: CINCH, WOKEN, BICEP, INLAY
• Quordle #906, Thursday 18 July: SHALE, BLINK, CHOCK, POPPY
• Quordle #905, Wednesday 17 July: SYRUP, AMISS, OTTER, BOTCH
• Quordle #904, Tuesday 16 July: STOIC, HOMER, STORE, STEAL
• Quordle #903, Monday 15 July: QUASH, BRASS, UTTER, ALERT
• Quordle #902, Sunday 14 July: MUSKY, AGATE, EXPEL, SLICK
• Quordle #901, Saturday 13 July: GROWL, WHELP, CURVY, APTLY
• Quordle #900, Friday 12 July: CHEER, SQUIB, CLEFT, ODDLY
• Quordle #899, Thursday 11 July: BACON, JIFFY, ANVIL, ALLOY
• Quordle #898, Wednesday 10 July: RALPH, LIKEN, COUNT, DROWN
• Quordle #897, Tuesday 9 July: EJECT, DRIVE, CLUCK, CLOUD
• Quordle #896, Monday 8 July: DATUM, SLUMP, CHUMP, KNOLL
• Quordle #895, Sunday 7 July: STEAM, STAID, SCOUR, WHERE
• Quordle #894, Saturday 6 July: GRAIN, VIDEO, OLDER, FROCK
• Quordle #893, Friday 5 July: SOGGY, SCRUM, TENOR, WIGHT

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Arc browser makes it even more tempting to switch from Chrome with native ad blocker and tracking prevention coming soon

The Arc browser has steadily been gaining attention since its launch in 2022 for Apple devices originally, and now, it’s about to get some neat new capabilities, including its own native ad blocker and tracking prevention.

Arc is Chromium-based and only recently came to Windows 11 (after debuting on Macs and iOS), and the developer, The Browser Company, is trying to win over users of the most popular and best web browsers (the likes of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge) by offering a competitive and hopefully better browsing experience.

An experience that’ll be further improved by the arrival of the mentioned features, which were revealed as part of a recent email announcing an ‘Early Bird’ program for Arc (as shared by Neowin). This is a community of testers who’ll try out the latest (preview) versions of Arc and provide feedback to help improve any features ahead of their final release. Essentially, it’s similar to Microsoft’s own Insider Programs for the likes of Edge (and Windows, of course). 

In this email, the Arc developer proclaimed that it wants to build a ‘cleaner internet’ with fewer popups, ads, and banners to make it easier to focus on what you’re actually doing in the browser. The Browser Company mentions Chrome’s transition to Manifest V3 as the motivation for this update, and that the ad blocker feature is still in development, but clarifies that it’s coming soon. 

Manifest V3 is a major update to Chrome’s extension platform that will change how browser extensions interact with web pages. In particular, it will restrict the capabilities of certain extensions, including their ability to block ads and modify the contents of a page.

As Arc is built on Google’s Chromium engine, Manifest V3 will affect the browser, and this is why Arc’s developer mentions keeping the browser “clear of the clutter” with its own integrated ad blocker that won’t be affected by Manifest V3. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Want to get in early with new Arc features?

The new ad blocking and tracking prevention features are not available yet, but if you’re keen to try them as soon as they land, you can sign up for Arc’s Early Bird program. Because these features will still be in testing when they arrive, their implementation might change ahead of their debut to the general public in the finished version of Arc.

If you’d like to enrol in the Early Bird program click on this link, then click ‘Join our next cohort’ and you’ll be prompted to provide some details, such as your Arc account info and the level of your technical knowledge. Otherwise, you can wait for these exciting new features to arrive when they’re deemed ready for general release.

We’ve tried Arc for ourselves and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen so far. It offers plenty of built-in apps and features, aiming to be like a sort of operating system for web browsing, as it were. The developer puts the emphasis on trying to create a clean, calm interface, and it shows in Arc’s thoughtful design. If your curiosity is piqued and you want to try an alternative to mainstream browsers, you can check out Arc for yourself.  

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