Quordle today – hints and answers for Wednesday, June 5 (game #863)

Another day, another set of Quordle puzzles to test your mettle. And if one word game isn't enough for you, there's also the Daily Sequence variant, which challenges you to solve four Wordle-style grids consecutively, rather than concurrently as in the standard game – but while using the same letters. It's all rather complicated to explain, but easy to pick up.

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

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

Quordle today (game #863) - 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 #863) - 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 #863) - 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 #863) - 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 #863) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• Q

• L

• L

• S

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

Quordle today (game #863) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #863, are…

• QUITE
• LAPSE
• LYMPH
• SIGMA

This is a potentially difficult Quordle, depending on your strategy. There are no repeated letters, but there is an uncommon Q in QUITE, plus LYMPH and SIGMA have uncommon spellings. 

What do I mean by that? Well, Y is generally found at the end of a word rather than in the middle, and LYMPH is also a very rare word in that it contains no vowels – or at least that's the case if you don't consider Y to be one. Opinion is split on that; clearly Y acts as a vowel here, but some sources state that only A, E, I, O and U are really vowels. Y sometimes makes a vowel sound, but it's really a consonant. 

Anyway, a word without any of the five standard vowels is uncommon. As far as SIGMA goes, A at the end is also uncommon. So, a complicated Quordle that you'll have done well to solve today.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #863) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #863, are…

• FORCE
• MEDIC
• LIVER
• DITCH

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #862, Tuesday 4 June: SCORN, REIGN, EPOCH, FIGHT
• Quordle #861, Monday 3 June: BUILT, FRIED, LEERY, JAZZY
• Quordle #860, Sunday 2 June: WHISK, PUSHY, PINKY, AMITY
• Quordle #859, Saturday 1 June: DODGY, LIBEL, LANCE, GROIN
• Quordle #858, Friday 31 May: BRAWN, CINCH, WHOSE, GUESS
• Quordle #857, Thursday 30 May: DEBIT, HATER, PHOTO, SPIKE
• Quordle #856, Wednesday 29 May: CRUMB, MACRO, WHEEL, COMMA
• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, June 5 (game #94)

Ready for another dose of the NYT's Strands puzzle? You got it! Simply head to the New York Times Games site and have at it. It can be tricky, though, so you may need my hints below to get you started. 

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… They're good people

NYT Strands today (game #94) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• CITE

• RIPE

• CLIP

• SEAM

• LITTER

• HANG

NYT Strands today (game #94) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Positive monikers

NYT Strands today (game #94) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 2nd row

• Last: right, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #94) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #94, are…

• JUSTICE
• FAITH
• HOPE
• PRUDENCE
• GRACE
• FELICITY
• SPANGRAM: VIRTUENAMES

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

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This is a classic Strands puzzle (if you can have such a thing only a couple of months in), where the challenge is very difficult until you uncover one word, at which point it becomes a lot more solvable. The theme clue of 'They're good people' makes sense once you know what the answers are, but until then it doesn't really give you that much of a clue. I'm fine with that, personally – it makes the challenge all the harder.

Once I'd found JUSTICE and FAITH I realized what the objective was, and found the others relatively quickly. The spangram did delay me for a while; I could see names, but couldn't work out what the first half of it was. But eventually I spotted VIRTUENAMES and the final couple of answers followed soon after.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday 4 June, game #93)

• WATCH
• LEARN
• DIVIDE
• CONQUER
• FORGIVE
• FORGET
• SPANGRAM: USEFULADVICE

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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

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Unskippable ads are tech's latest curse – and now they're even coming to Instagram

Unskippable ads are a growing menace on smartphones and streaming boxes – and if you thought Instagram was safe, think again. The social media giant has just confirmed that it's testing YouTube-style ad breaks that you can't skip.

Over the past few days, some aghast Instagram users (like @TheDanLevy below) have posted screenshots showing a pop-up called 'Ad break' with a countdown timer (like the one below). And unlike Instagram's typical advertisements, these can't be scrolled or swiped past – you have to wait until the ad's finished.

Unfortunately, these are unlikely to be isolated cases. Instagram has now confirmed in a statement given to TechCrunch that it is testing the new format ahead of a potential wider rollout. “We’re always testing formats that can drive value for advertisers,” a Meta spokesperson said.

We don't yet know what Meta's rollout plan is for the 'Ad break' feature, but it doesn't sound good. “As we test and learn, we will provide updates should this test result in any formal product changes" the spokesperson added, worryingly.

Holy moly! Meta seemingly is now forcing us to watch ads in our feeds on Instagram! The app legit stopped me from scrolling past this ad which is just a bonkers move to me. pic.twitter.com/740EXjGyl2June 1, 2024

See more

A post on Reddit's Instagram subreddit has shed some further light on Meta's new plan. Apparently, when you click on an info icon in an advertisement it states: “You’re seeing an ad break. Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you keep browsing.”

That doesn't sound like a feature that's destined to remain an experiment among a minority of Instagram users. Judging by the early backlash on social media, it could be the final nudge that some need to leave the increasingly diluted and confused social media platform. 

Sign of the times

(Image credit: Future)

Bringing unskippable adverts to Instagram somehow feels like crossing a line compared to seeing them on the likes of YouTube. 

If you watch YouTube on your smart TV, you'll have noticed the commercial breaks getting longer over the past year. YouTube rolled out what it calls "30-second non-skips" to its most popular channels in May 2023 and even started testing pause screen ads.

Yet aside from Shorts, most YouTube videos are longer than Instagram Stories and some people are still on Instagram to (gasp) see photos. The unskippable ads tested by Instagram may have only been a few seconds long, but they're effectively a takeover of your smartphone screen when you're in the app – and it remains to be seen whether it'll actually boost Instagram's bottom line.

As pointed out by the BBC, a recent TikTok study suggests that non-skip ads can be a drain on engagement, making them something of a net negative for social media platforms. Let's hope that's the case again here, otherwise, we really will have to jump ship for the best Instagram alternatives (something we've been vowing to do since, oh, at least 2021).

You might also like

• Watch YouTube on your TV? Unskippable ads will soon get a lot worse
• Your Roku TV home screen is getting video ads soon – and I'm already sick of it
• Google TV’s ad creep wouldn’t be acceptable on Android phones

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, June 4 (game #93)

Here's another potentially tricky Strands for you, in case you were expecting anything different. It's solvable, sure, but you might need to think creatively to do it without any in-game hints. Or you could use my own clues to set you on your way. 

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Purposeful pairs

NYT Strands today (game #93) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• EDICT

• DIVE

• DIVED

• EGRET

• FORD

• WAVE

NYT Strands today (game #93) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Twice as helpful

NYT Strands today (game #93) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 3rd row

• Last: right, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #93) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #93, are…

• WATCH
• LEARN
• DIVIDE
• CONQUER
• FORGIVE
• FORGET
• SPANGRAM: USEFULADVICE

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• My rating: Moderate
• My score: One hint

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I always struggle in Strands when the theme is abstract, as it is today. USEFUL ADVICE – the spangram – sums up part of the challenge here, with the theme clue of 'Purposeful pairs' telling the rest of the story. 

I got that I needed pairs, that bit was easy. But the purposeful side of it was harder to work out and I was essentially stumbling around in the dark until I eventually used a hint up. That gave me WATCH, at which point the task became a lot easier. LEARN immediately revealed itself to me, and once I spotted DIVIDE it was easy to claim CONQUER too. By that stage the spangram was also apparent, and I solved the rest of the puzzle with no fuss.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday 3 June, game #92)

• YOGURT
• MISO
• KEFIR
• KOMBUCHA
• KIMCHI
• SAUERKRAUT
• SPANGRAM: FERMENTED

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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

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Microsoft could be bringing more AI to the Edge browser - this time with website suggestions

Microsoft is busy trying to bring AI to a wider range of products, and the latest move is with its default browser for Windows 11, Edge, which looks like it’s getting better site suggestion abilities thanks to an infusion of AI.

Edge has already seen the addition of Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, along with a dedicated sidebar, and now the browser looks like it's going to get better website suggestions based on references spotted by Windows Latest in the new Canary preview build of Edge. 

These suggestion-related changes are referred to using IDs that suggest an advanced AI-involved approach to generating website recommendations, and they include: 

• msAIPredictedSitesTopSitesAvailableInMostVisited
• msAIPredictedSitesTopSitesVisible
• msAIPredictedSitesTopSitesVisibleDhp
• msAIPredictedSitesTopSitesVisibleNtp
• msShowAIPredictedSiteSuggestionsOnNormalStartupTrigger
• msShowAIPredictedSiteSuggestionsOnNormalStartupWithGivenUrlsTrigger

You might notice that the term ‘AI’ is used multiple times, and this seems a clear enough indication that Microsoft is looking to provide site suggestions that go beyond existing ones. 

(Image credit: Microsoft)

What will these AI-powered site suggestions look like?

As these AI suggestions haven’t yet been realized, even in test builds, we don’t know how they’ll pan out yet - or even if they’ll be implemented. Although given Microsoft's focus on AI, it seems a pretty good bet they will - and if so, we’ll just have to see how they improve site suggestions down the line.

This isn’t the first AI-assisted personalization-related change that’s been observed making its way into Edge. Last month, Edge received new AI capabilities to generate a large, high-quality image to use as the browser’s background in new tabs. 

If these new AI-driven features aren’t overly resource-intensive, they could be amusing to try and may even help improve the user experience. Many users might not feel that updates like these are especially necessary, mind you, and may not want AI creeping in all over the place with the browser - but this is the direction Microsoft seems intent on taking, it seems and not just with Edge.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Microsoft Edge is getting a new AI feature that will improve your search results
• Microsoft Edge looks to be getting more AI - this time it should help make the browser look better
• Microsoft Edge is getting flashy new Copilot features and Designer app for photo editing - but is that enough to beat Chrome?

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, June 3 (game #92)

Prepare yourself, because today's Strands puzzle from the NYT is a difficult one. Or rather, I found it to be difficult; maybe you won't. If you do, there are hints below to help you out. 

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Better with age

NYT Strands today (game #92) - hint #2 - clue words

What are some good clue words today?

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

• RUSE

• FEAR

• MOIST

• TRUE

• EACH

• MICE

NYT Strands today (game #92) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Microbial menu

NYT Strands today (game #92) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 5th row

• Last: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #92) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #92, are…

• YOGURT
• MISO
• KEFIR
• KOMBUCHA
• KIMCHI
• SAUERKRAUT
• SPANGRAM: FERMENTED

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: Three hints

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I generally manage to solve each Strands puzzle without needing hints, but failed miserably in that task today: I needed three of them. Will everyone find it as tough as I did? I suspect many will, because a) many of the words are relatively obscure and b) many have uncommon spellings.

I say many are relatively obscure, although obviously it depends on your diet. I love YOGURT, but none of the other answers here are part of my regular cuisine. If you're a regular eater of KIMCHI or SAUERKRAUT then those words may have jumped out more readily to you. But even outside of that, only MISO really has a common structure in English; K is not a common letter to begin a word, but starts three answers and is in the middle of another. Maybe I could/should have solved it with two or even one hint, but there's only so long I'm prepared to stare at the Strands board, and I ultimately decided enough was enough today. Frustrating – but I'm glad it was a little harder than some of them have been recently.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 2 June, game #91)

• TOPPER
• COLOR
• CLEANSE
• BASE
• FILE
• BUFF
• MOISTURIZE
• SPANGRAM: MANICURE

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Sunday, June 2 (game #860)

Sunday's Quordle is relatively straightforward, so long as you play it with a good strategy. By all means go in all-guns-blazing, but you're risking your streak if you do! Still, there are hints below if you need them.

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

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

Quordle today (game #860) - 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 #860) - 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 #860) - 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 #860) - 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 #860) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• W

• P

• P

• A

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

Quordle today (game #860) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #860, are…

• WHISK
• PUSHY
• PINKY
• AMITY

No repeated letters today, with the only complication coming from a relatively obscure answer in the form of AMITY. On the plus side, PUSHY and PINKY both start and end with the same letters – P---Y – so finding one may have led you to the other, and that may in turn have given you the Y for AMITY.

I solved them all with two guesses remaining, thanks to a decent start from my set opening words. AMITY did indeed give me pause for thought, but by that stage in the game it was the only thing that fit, so I escaped unscathed.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #860) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #860, are…

• ALLEY
• FROCK
• GRAPH
• WEIGH

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #859, Saturday 1 June: DODGY, LIBEL, LANCE, GROIN
• Quordle #858, Friday 31 May: BRAWN, CINCH, WHOSE, GUESS
• Quordle #857, Thursday 30 May: DEBIT, HATER, PHOTO, SPIKE
• Quordle #856, Wednesday 29 May: CRUMB, MACRO, WHEEL, COMMA
• Quordle #855, Tuesday 28 May: MARRY, DUTCH, BRINE, TACIT
• Quordle #854, Monday 27 May: PHOTO, LURID, PURGE, EMCEE
• Quordle #853, Sunday 26 May: BRINK, ALLEY, FENCE, GUILT
• Quordle #852, Saturday 25 May: CREST, SLICK, RATTY, SPURT
• Quordle #851, Friday 24 May: COPSE, STINT, SPIRE, IONIC
• Quordle #850, Thursday 23 May: MOLDY, REBEL, SPORT, MECCA
• Quordle #849, Wednesday 22 May: BLAST, USAGE, AUDIO, DETOX
• Quordle #848, Tuesday 21 May: NUDGE, OVINE, STRIP, TABOO
• Quordle #847, Monday 20 May: FORCE, SPREE, CACHE, RADII
• Quordle #846, Sunday 19 May: ALIKE, USHER, FLAKE, SUAVE 
• Quordle #845, Saturday 18 May: HUMPH, SHARD, LABOR, CROWD
• Quordle #844, Friday 17 May: DREAD, USUAL, LOVER, SPEAK
• Quordle #843, Thursday 16 May: COVEY, TWEAK, DITTO, DECAY
• Quordle #842, Wednesday 15 May: ABUSE, MANGY, WAGER, AHEAD
• Quordle #841, Tuesday 14 May: FLUTE, CARRY, BULLY, PURSE
• Quordle #840, Monday 13 May: CRASS, NICHE, CHEST, PRIZE

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