Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, December 14 (game #1420)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, December 13 (game #1419).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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 #1420) - 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 #1420) - 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 #1420) - 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 #1420) - 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 #1420) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• A

• T

• H

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

Quordle today (game #1420) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1420, are…

• HYENA
• ASSET
• TARDY
• HORSE

One slip up cost me a perfect round today and that was guessing “henna” instead of HYENA.

On reflection, henna is quite an obscure word, but I when you see a word in your mind’s eye it’s hard to stop yourself guessing it.

Daily Sequence today (game #1420) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1420, are…

• SOLVE
• PIANO
• FLEET
• CAUSE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1419, Saturday, 13 December: APPLE, BEGUN, TOXIC, MOGUL
• Quordle #1418, Friday, 12 December: KRILL, SIGHT, KHAKI, DUCHY
• Quordle #1417, Thursday, 11 December: CLANG, CRANK, JUMBO, GLASS
• Quordle #1416, Wednesday, 10 December: BULKY, TABBY, TRUST, SHELL
• Quordle #1415, Tuesday, 9 December: NUTTY, FELON, TOXIN, WORDY
• Quordle #1414, Monday, 8 December: REBUT, SLAIN, DOWNY, YEAST
• Quordle #1413, Sunday, 7 December: BRACE, AISLE, BAGEL, LINEN
• Quordle #1412, Saturday, 6 December: NURSE, DINGY, TRUCK, ACTOR
• Quordle #1411, Friday, 5 December: HAVEN, AMBER, HUMID, SALSA
• Quordle #1410, Thursday, 4 December: DOPEY, OCTAL, CRAFT, HUMAN
• Quordle #1409, Wednesday, 3 December: SHALE, VITAL, TOOTH, WAFER
• Quordle #1408, Tuesday, 2 December: GRILL, SIGHT, COMFY, STINK
• Quordle #1407, Monday, 1 December: DITCH, SKIFF, INBOX, MUCKY
• Quordle #1406, Sunday, 30 November: OPTIC, WRUNG, ERUPT, ROYAL
• Quordle #1405, Saturday, 29 November: HUMAN, BUTTE, MOGUL, SHEET
• Quordle #1404, Friday, 28 November: ROUGE, GLEAN, FERRY, EMPTY
• Quordle #1403, Thursday, 27 November: ELOPE, LIVID, LOATH, SPOOL
• Quordle #1402, Wednesday, 26 November: MOURN, PANEL, UNWED, UNCUT
• Quordle #1401, Tuesday, 25 November: AMEND, PINKY, DAUNT, BILGE
• Quordle #1400, Monday, 24 November: QUIET, PIANO, FUDGE, PRIED

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New US border checks could involve scanning your last five years of social media history– here's what you need to know

• The US government wants to check your social media posts at the border
• That could impact your data privacy and free speech rights
• Privacy advocates are opposing the move

Tourists visiting the US could soon be subjected to more intense checks than usual, with new proposed rules including in-depth social media screening and other similarly draconian measures.

The rule change has been proposed by the US’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. If the plans go ahead, every person visiting the country will have their social media posts from the last five years checked before entry.

As well as that, it will be “mandatory” to hand over your email addresses and phone numbers from the last five years, as well as the names, addresses, numbers and birth dates of your family members. You’ll also need to provide a photograph of yourself, plus biometric data including your fingerprints, iris scans and even DNA.

That could be a significant headache for travelers and could potentially result lengthy queues and delays when trying to enter the US, depending on how it's implemented. Tech privacy rights have become an increasing concern for users in recent years, with sales of the best VPN apps over the past 12 months hitting new heights as governments around the world seek to collect ever more information on citizens.

Instead of being a place to connect with friends and watch cat memes, many people will likely be concerned that social media is turning into a place of surveillance – and the CBP’s move isn’t doing anything to allay those fears.

A controversial idea

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Bloomicon)

Privacy advocates are naturally concerned about the new proposals, but President Donald Trump doesn't seem too worried about the potential impacts on tourists or on US tourism.

According to the BBC, Trump said: "We just want people to come over here, and safe. We want safety. We want security. We want to make sure we're not letting the wrong people come enter our country."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that works to protect digital privacy rights, naturally has other views, as reported by the New York Times. It said that the CBP’s proposal would “exacerbate civil liberties harms".

The group added that such a move “has not proven effective at finding terrorists and other bad guys. But it has chilled the free speech and invaded the privacy of innocent travelers, along with that of their American family, friends and colleagues.”

The proposed rules would also, in theory, be trivial to bypass. If a person is concerned about falling foul of the restrictions, they’d simply need to delete their social media posts from the last five years and clear their email inbox. There are even digital footprint services that can do this for you.

It also wouldn’t be surprising to see many people creating secondary social media profiles with no post history and then providing those to administration officials. The CBP says its proposal will be subject to 60 days of public consultation. Anyone concerned about what it might lead to can make their thoughts known by emailing 'CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov'.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, December 13 (game #650)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 12 (game #649).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #650) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All over the place

NYT Strands today (game #650) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• WISDOM
• WHAT
• STAND
• DRUM
• THAN
• LOUT

NYT Strands today (game #650) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #650) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: 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 #650) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #650, are…

• STORMY
• TUMULTUOUS
• CHAOTIC
• UNRULY
• DISORDERLY
• SPANGRAM: THATSWILD

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

This was one of those games where non-game words were much easier to find than the ones we were actually searching for.

After getting nowhere, I took a hint and got STORMY. Next I saw “tumult’ and continued connecting letters until I got the fantastic and rarely used TUMULTUOUS, a word that sums up our current age pretty well.

When “wild” turned out to be a non-game word I knew that it must be part of the spangram, but I didn’t see that until I completed the entire board. I know this is a word search game and punctuation is impossible, but it is hard to look at THATSWILD without the apostrophe.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, December 12, game #649)

• TEMPEST
• MIDSUMMER
• SHREW
• TWELFTH
• MERCHANT
• MERRY
• SPANGRAM: THEBARD

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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Quordle hints and answers for Friday, December 12 (game #1418)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, December 11 (game #1417).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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 #1418) - 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 #1418) - 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 #1418) - 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 #1418) - 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 #1418) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• K

• S

• K

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1418) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1418, are…

• KRILL
• SIGHT
• KHAKI
• DUCHY

It’s taken me a year, but I finally managed to complete Quordle in six lines!

The key element was, of course, luck with one of my starter words being one of today’s words – but it feels good to have made it.

Daily Sequence today (game #1418) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1418, are…

• METRO
• DITTO
• MISSY
• SHALE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1417, Thursday, 11 December: CLANG, CRANK, JUMBO, GLASS
• Quordle #1416, Wednesday, 10 December: BULKY, TABBY, TRUST, SHELL
• Quordle #1415, Tuesday, 9 December: NUTTY, FELON, TOXIN, WORDY
• Quordle #1414, Monday, 8 December: REBUT, SLAIN, DOWNY, YEAST
• Quordle #1413, Sunday, 7 December: BRACE, AISLE, BAGEL, LINEN
• Quordle #1412, Saturday, 6 December: NURSE, DINGY, TRUCK, ACTOR
• Quordle #1411, Friday, 5 December: HAVEN, AMBER, HUMID, SALSA
• Quordle #1410, Thursday, 4 December: DOPEY, OCTAL, CRAFT, HUMAN
• Quordle #1409, Wednesday, 3 December: SHALE, VITAL, TOOTH, WAFER
• Quordle #1408, Tuesday, 2 December: GRILL, SIGHT, COMFY, STINK
• Quordle #1407, Monday, 1 December: DITCH, SKIFF, INBOX, MUCKY
• Quordle #1406, Sunday, 30 November: OPTIC, WRUNG, ERUPT, ROYAL
• Quordle #1405, Saturday, 29 November: HUMAN, BUTTE, MOGUL, SHEET
• Quordle #1404, Friday, 28 November: ROUGE, GLEAN, FERRY, EMPTY
• Quordle #1403, Thursday, 27 November: ELOPE, LIVID, LOATH, SPOOL
• Quordle #1402, Wednesday, 26 November: MOURN, PANEL, UNWED, UNCUT
• Quordle #1401, Tuesday, 25 November: AMEND, PINKY, DAUNT, BILGE
• Quordle #1400, Monday, 24 November: QUIET, PIANO, FUDGE, PRIED
• Quordle #1399, Sunday, 23 November: GOLEM, CURLY, NINTH, ATONE
• Quordle #1398, Saturday, 22 November: ENACT, CHIDE, BEGET, PRAWN

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 12 (game #649)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 11 (game #648).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #649) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shakespearean titles

NYT Strands today (game #649) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SPEW
• CHASE
• HARD
• TRACE
• THEME
• MUSE

NYT Strands today (game #649) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #649) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: 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 #649) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #649, are…

• TEMPEST
• MIDSUMMER
• SHREW
• TWELFTH
• MERCHANT
• MERRY
• SPANGRAM: THEBARD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After yesterday’s long and difficult spangram, today was the opposite end of the spectrum – short, simple and quite easy to spot.

TEMPEST aside, today’s search gave us partial “Shakespearean titles”, but they were all common enough words, if not all from the most famous plays; no place here for Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, December 11, game #648)

• EPILOGUE
• ADDENDUM
• POSTSCRIPT
• FOOTNOTE
• SPANGRAM: ANDFURTHERMORE

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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Apple reveals the most popular free iPhone apps of 2025 — and there’s a surprise runner-up to ChatGPT

Apple has already crowned the 2025 App Store Winners – a relatively short list of 17 apps and games with spotlights across each of its platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro included). But today, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also sharing a bit of the people’s vote in the realm of apps.

We have the top 10 lists – along with extended rankings within the App Store – for the most downloaded apps and games on iPhone and iPad, split by free and paid. There’s even a list of the most downloaded Apple Arcade titles. And while we all could have guessed that OpenAI’s ChatGPT would be high up, it ranks as the number-one free app for the iPhone. Still, there are a few surprises as you look down the lists.

Coming in at number two on the most downloaded free iPhone apps is Threads – yes, the still-new platform from Meta that Mark Zuckerberg hopes will steal thunder from X (formerly Twitter and Bluesky). That means a significant number of people have downloaded it, whether they discovered it on their own or via recommendations from the Instagram app.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Instagram itself isn’t far down the list at number six, and TikTok – which remains in something of an awkward spot here in the United States – comes in at number four. You can see the full list below, but it’s worth noting that Google also had a strong presence in the top ten, with Gemini, YouTube, the main Google app, and Google Maps all making the cut.

On the iPad side, while Instagram finally arrived on the platform, it didn’t break into the top 10 free iPadOS apps. As expected, it’s a streaming-heavy list, with Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video all securing major slots. YouTube takes the top spot, and Google Chrome isn’t far down the list. The ever-popular GoodNotes – a note-taking app with a suite of AI functionality, including handwriting cleanup and extensive folder organization – also appears.

(Image credit: Future)

You can keep scrolling to see the full top 10 lists for the top free and paid iPhone and iPad apps, the top games for each, and the overall list of most downloaded Apple Arcade titles. It’s always fun, and often insightful, to browse these year-end lists to see what people use most – or, in some cases, download and only open once.

I’m keen to know what apps you use most on the iPhone and iPad, so let me know your picks in the comments below – and whether you use any of the most downloaded ones.

Top Free iPhone Apps - 2025

• ChatGPT
• Threads
• Google
• TikTok - Videos, Shop & LIVE
• WhatsApp Messenger
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Google Maps
• Gmail - Email by Google
• Google Gemini

Top Free iPad Apps - 2025

• YouTube
• ChatGPT
• Netflix
• Disney+
• Amazon Prime Video
• TikTok - Videos, Shop & LIVE
• Google Chrome
• Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF
• Canva: AI Photo & Video Editor
• HBO Max: Stream Movies & TV

Top Paid iPhone Apps - 2025

• HotSchedules
• Shadowrocket
• Procreate Pocket
• AnkiMobile Flashcards
• Paprika Recipe Manager 3
• SkyView®
• TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
• AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch
• Forest: Focus for Productivity
• RadarScope

Top Paid iPad Apps - 2025

• Procreate
• Procreate Dreams
• forScore
• ToonSquid
• Nomad Sculpt
• Shadowrocket
• AnkiMobile Flashcards
• Bluebeam Revu for iPad
• Teach Your Monster to Read
• Feather: Draw in 3D

Top Free iPhone Games - 2025

• Block Blast！
• Fortnite
• Roblox
• Township
• Pokémon TCG Pocket
• Royal Kingdom
• Clash Royale
• Vita Mahjong
• Whiteout Survival
• Last War:Survival

Top Free iPad Games - 2025

• Roblox
• Block Blast！
• Fortnite
• Perfect Tidy
• Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
• Mini Games: Calm & Chill
• Goods Puzzle: Sort Challenge
• hole.io
• Subway Surfers
• Township

Top Paid iPhone Games - 2025

• Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
• Balatro
• Heads Up!
• Plague Inc.
• Geometry Dash
• Bloons TD 6
• Stardew Valley
• Papa's Freezeria To Go!
• Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
• Red's First Flight

Top Paid iPad Games - 2025

• Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
• Geometry Dash
• Stardew Valley
• Balatro
• Bloons TD 6
• Plague Inc.
• Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
• Poppy Playtime Chapter 3
• Purple Place - Classic Games
• Papa's Sushiria To Go!

Top Apple Arcade Games - 2025

• NFL Retro Bowl ’26
• NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition
• Balatro+
• Snake.io+
• Sneaky Sasquatch
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Fruit Ninja Classic+
• Bloons TD 6+
• PGA TOUR Pro Golf
• Solitaire by MobilityWare+

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Instagram just gave users algorithm control — and this could change the face of social media

• Instagram is giving you access to your algorithm
• For now, it's only Reels
• You can even share what you learn about your interests

Some describe social media algorithms as black boxes, dark spaces that have substantial control over what you see but offer virtually zero insight into how they do their dark magic. Instagram is changing that equation today by opening up just a little bit of the inscrutable programming and letting users – with AI's help – take the wheel.

Instagram announced the "new way to control your Instagram experience" in a blog post on Wednesday (December 10), explaining that the change will allow users to both see and control their Reels algorithm.

Reels is the longer-form video content and most closely resembles TikTok, another social media platform with a powerful and inscrutable algorithm.

Don't worry, when you see the new algorithm access icon (two lines with hearts), you won't be looking at code. Instead, using AI in ways it does not explain, Instagram shows you what it understands about your interests. What you watch most or for the longest, what you like, what you share, and even what you quickly swipe through all shape the Reels algorithm. That detail, your interests, will now appear listed in the summary of topics list at the top.

Here's where it gets interesting, though; you can now muck about in your algorithm, entering topics you want to see more of, as well as those you'd rather remove from your feed.

Instagram promises "your Reels will reflect your choices."

Perhaps even more surprising, Instagram will let you share your algorithm, or at least the interests you like, in a Story post.

When I first heard about this, I kind of laughed out loud, since there are more than a few memes about the dangers of, say, your spouse or partner seeing what your algorithm reveals about you.

Reels algorithm access is, apparently, just the start. Instagram promised to bring the feature to Explore "and more places in the app, soon," which we take to mean that eventually, you'll have access to your full Instagram algorithm.

Why now?

After years of criticism that Meta and Instagram have not done enough to protect their users (especially teens) from harmful content, Instagram has been taking a far more aggressive approach to content control. Most of it has been on the side of parental controls. However, this is the first big step to truly putting control in the hands of users.

Most people scratch their heads and wonder why certain things show up in their feeds while other topics do not. This may lift that veil of confusion, but also reveal how Instagram has been watching us. People's Reels feeds should become far more curated and maybe end up feeling like safer spaces.

I am curious about how this might impact advertising since we all know how an in-person conversation with a friend or relative about a potential trip to Paris almost immediately results in Paris videos in our feed (this is not alchemy; the friend has probably searched in Instagram or Facebook about Paris and, since you're connected, well, your feeds is infected with Viva La France). Perhaps now, you can go into your algo center and remove that Paris topic before the full-blown feed infection.

Instagram is likely also doing this to help bring people back to Instagram. There's some indication that Gen Alpha – the next target market – is leaving social media. Perhaps changes like this – real algo control – will help bring them back.

This might also put some pressure on other social media companies like X (formerly Twitter) and, especially, TikTok (which is supposed to soon be US-owned and controlled) to make their algorithms publicly accessible and curatable.

Instagram says Reels algorithm control is rolling out across the US today and will roll out globally (for English-speaking markets) soon.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts – and wild algo discoveries – in the comments below.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, December 10 (game #647)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, December 9 (game #646).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #647) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A Nobel effort

NYT Strands today (game #647) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CUTE
• STALE
• CRUSH
• SEAT
• RELEASE
• THEM

NYT Strands today (game #647) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #647) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #647) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #647, are…

• PEACE
• LITERATURE
• MEDICINE
• CHEMISTRY
• PHYSICS
• SPANGRAM: LAUREATES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I didn’t use any hints, but I was sorely tempted to do so, as these intellectual Strands games test my limits.

The theme was obvious at least, so I went straight to the most obvious, and currently contentious, award – PEACE. Something which now apparently has a rival in the Fifa World Peace Prize.

LITERATURE was next and after that I looked for “science” before getting three science-based areas. I needed to get them all before seeing the spangram

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, December 9, game #646)

• REBOUND
• DUNK
• GUARD
• JUMP
• BLOCK
• DRIBBLE
• SCREEN
• SPANGRAM: BASKETBALL

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/U3dg9oa

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, December 9 (game #646)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 8 (game #645).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #646) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

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

NYT Strands today (game #646) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CORE
• BILE
• NUDE
• BANKS
• DEAR
• DRUG

NYT Strands today (game #646) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #646) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #646) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #646, are…

• REBOUND
• DUNK
• GUARD
• JUMP
• BLOCK
• DRIBBLE
• SCREEN
• SPANGRAM: BASKETBALL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I’ll be honest, my first thought when I saw the word “court” was tennis, something I still thought was possible when I got REBOUND. 

My next find of DUNK put any ideas of Wimbledon to one side as I concentrated on words connected to BASKETBALL – of which there are an extraordinary number.

Despite my lack of knowledge this was an easy game, made fun by the excellent basketball-shaped spangram, top marks for that.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, December 8, game #645)

• NOUN
• VERB
• ADJECTIVE
• ARTICLE
• CONJUNCTION
• SPANGRAM:PARTSOFSPEECH

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/FYjlw6k

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, December 8 (game #645)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, December 7 (game #644).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #645) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Grammatically speaking

NYT Strands today (game #645) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• POUNCE
• UNCLE
• TRACE
• PEST 
• STORE
• CHART

NYT Strands today (game #645) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #645) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: 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 #645) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #645, are…

• NOUN
• VERB
• ADJECTIVE
• ARTICLE
• CONJUNCTION
• SPANGRAM:PARTSOFSPEECH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Getting NOUN confirmed today’s theme and some – if not all – of the other words we were searching for.

VERB and ADJECTIVE were the next most obvious grammar words and after this I saw speech and when that didn’t turn blue spotted the entire spangram, which then exposed ARTICLE.

All that was left was CONJUNCTION, which I am certain was most people’s last find; kudos if it was your first.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, December 7, game #644)

• HAIRCUT
• FACIAL
• EXTENSIONS
• WAXING
• BRAIDING
• SPANGRAM: BEAUTYSALON

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/exo4iIK

Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, December 7 (game #1413)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, December 6 (game #1412).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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 #1413) - 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 #1413) - 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 #1413) - 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 #1413) - 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 #1413) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• A

• B

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1413) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1413, are…

• BRACE
• AISLE
• BAGEL
• LINEN

When I first started playing Quordle I really struggled at the classic game and whizzed through the Daily Sequence.

Now, most days the reverse is true and I struggle to complete the Sequence without the freedom to solve the columns in any order.

Daily Sequence today (game #1413) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1413, are…

• ATONE
• RAYON
• SIREN
• BATHE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1412, Saturday, 6 December: NURSE, DINGY, TRUCK, ACTOR
• Quordle #1411, Friday, 5 December: HAVEN, AMBER, HUMID, SALSA
• Quordle #1410, Thursday, 4 December: DOPEY, OCTAL, CRAFT, HUMAN
• Quordle #1409, Wednesday, 3 December: SHALE, VITAL, TOOTH, WAFER
• Quordle #1408, Tuesday, 2 December: GRILL, SIGHT, COMFY, STINK
• Quordle #1407, Monday, 1 December: DITCH, SKIFF, INBOX, MUCKY
• Quordle #1406, Sunday, 30 November: OPTIC, WRUNG, ERUPT, ROYAL
• Quordle #1405, Saturday, 29 November: HUMAN, BUTTE, MOGUL, SHEET
• Quordle #1404, Friday, 28 November: ROUGE, GLEAN, FERRY, EMPTY
• Quordle #1403, Thursday, 27 November: ELOPE, LIVID, LOATH, SPOOL
• Quordle #1402, Wednesday, 26 November: MOURN, PANEL, UNWED, UNCUT
• Quordle #1401, Tuesday, 25 November: AMEND, PINKY, DAUNT, BILGE
• Quordle #1400, Monday, 24 November: QUIET, PIANO, FUDGE, PRIED
• Quordle #1399, Sunday, 23 November: GOLEM, CURLY, NINTH, ATONE
• Quordle #1398, Saturday, 22 November: ENACT, CHIDE, BEGET, PRAWN
• Quordle #1397, Friday, 21 November: SPARK, HITCH, BAYOU, TRAIT
• Quordle #1396, Thursday, 20 November: BLAZE, HAIRY, STUNG, CAIRN
• Quordle #1395, Wednesday, 19 November: SALLY, FLIRT, FIXER, BOUND
• Quordle #1394, Tuesday, 18 November: FOLIO, FERAL, PECAN, DIZZY
• Quordle #1393, Monday, 17 November: FLICK, MATCH, FUNKY, CRYPT

https://ift.tt/mZjEykf

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, December 6 (game #643)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 5 (game #642).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #643) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Tolkien's world

NYT Strands today (game #643) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• FARE
• WORST
• BLEED
• FRIEND
• WORDS
• FRESH

NYT Strands today (game #643) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #643) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #643) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #643, are…

• WIZARD
• HOBBIT
• FOREST
• QUEST
• SHIRE
• RING
• DWARF
• SPANGRAM: MIDDLEEARTH

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I’m really pleased that I managed to complete today’s search without resorting to a hint, because I know absolutely nothing about “Tolkein’s world”, having never seen/read any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit films/books.

That said, I must know something – as I found the very middling MIDDLEEARTH spangram almost immediately, quickly followed by the top half of the grid.

Thankfully, SHIRE and RING apart, all of the words felt pretty common to the fantasy genre.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, December 5, game #642)

• CAFE
• BUFFET
• STEAKHOUSE
• BAKERY
• BISTRO
• BREWERY
• SPANGRAM: DININGOUT

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/M9dhOYz

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, December 5 (game #642)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 4 (game #641).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #642) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Feeling peckish?

NYT Strands today (game #642) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HEAD
• BUNG
• BIKER
• STEW
• BENT
• SUNG

NYT Strands today (game #642) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #642) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: 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 #642) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #642, are…

• CAFE
• BUFFET
• STEAKHOUSE
• BAKERY
• BISTRO
• BREWERY
• SPANGRAM: DININGOUT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

It probably says a lot about me that if ever there is a Stands with a food theme then I spot it straight away and roar through it.

Today, getting the non-game words for this column afterwards took longer than completing the search.

That said, of all the eating establishments featured I wouldn’t have predicted BREWERY would be among them. This innovation is less common in the UK but I’m all for it. The food part mainly.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, December 4, game #641)

• BOLD
• CONFIDENT
• ASSERTIVE
• COOL
• ASSURED
• SECURE
• SPANGRAM: LIKEABOSS

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/J6aVg2R

These are the 10 best Chrome extensions of 2025, according to Google – and there’s one I definitely recommend

• Browse through the best Chrome extensions of 2025
• They're picked by Google based on the last 12 month
• These Chrome extensions all use AI in one way or another

'Tis the season for end-of-year recaps – from Spotify Wrapped to YouTube – and Google has now published a list of its top 10 extensions for Chrome of 2025. You probably won't be surprised to discover that they all use AI, to some extent or other.

You've got AI for writing, translating, note-taking, transcribing, summarizing, screenshotting, image editing, shopping, and more here. See how many of these you already have installed and which you might find useful.

AI browser companions

Monica is able to do a lot of AI tasks inside your browser (Image credit: Monica)

Google's first batch of recommended Chrome extensions comes under the banner of AI browsing companions, led by Monica, which gives you easy access to searches and prompts through models from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek.

Sider is based on a similar idea, introducing a sidebar to Chrome where you can quickly get help from the AI model of your choice. You can use it to translate text, generate images, and generally do everything that's possible inside a modern AI chatbot app.

Rounding out this group we've got Harpa AI for automating browser tasks and analyzing the pages you're visiting, and Quillbot as an AI assistant focused specifically on writing and editing text (no AI was used in the production of this article).

AI note-taking and tutoring

Fireflies will take notes of your meeting for you (Image credit: Fireflies)

The next group are recommended AI browser extensions that can help with your work meetings (that maybe should've been emails). First up is Fireflies, which will automatically transcribe and summarize Google Meet video chats in the browser.

Bluedot offers more or less the same set of primary features, though it also works with Zoom and Teams as well as Google Meet. You need never have to manually note down what someone said ever again – at least in theory.

If you want to use AI as a tutor, then there's QuestionAI for getting complex topics explained to you through the power of AI, and eJoy, which in Google's words "turns daily browsing into a language learning opportunity".

Even more AI – and my own favorite

You can get Photoshop right inside your browser (Image credit: Adobe)

Think that's everything that AI can do? Think again, because Google has also found time to recommend Phia, which helps you find the best price for specific fashion items on the web, with a single click. Plot twist: it uses "advanced AI" to study pricing trends.

Last but not least is my favorite of the bunch, Adobe Photoshop for Chrome, which helps me quickly remove backgrounds and adjust colors on pictures. You do need to pay for some of the more advanced features – but a free 12-month trial is included.

Photoshop uses AI too of course, but in a more transparent and useful way than a lot of the other extensions in this list. See you same time again next year for another Chrome round-up – and no doubt AI will be dominating once more.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, December 4 (game #641)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, December 3 (game #640).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #641) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… In the driver's seat

NYT Strands today (game #641) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CAKE
• BAKE
• SORE
• VERSE
• DOSE
• LOOT

NYT Strands today (game #641) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #641) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #641) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #641, are…

• BOLD
• CONFIDENT
• ASSERTIVE
• COOL
• ASSURED
• SECURE
• SPANGRAM: LIKEABOSS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I am the exact opposite of every word in today’s search, which is possibly why I have never been a boss and also possibly why I struggled so much to find them all.

The word BOSS actually appears twice on the board and I had it as a non-game word before discovering the spangram.

A hint gave me BOLD, which wasn’t the most generous of starts – but it was enough to make me CONFIDENT about the theme. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, December 3, game #640)

• GRAPH
• THEOREM
• FUNCTION
• EQUATION
• CALCULATION
• SPANGRAM: MATHCLASS

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

https://ift.tt/rqQKv1b