NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, October 14 (game #856)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Connections hints and answers for Monday, October 13 (game #855).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #856) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STEM
• EASEL
• ABSORB
• DIGEST
• ANTHER
• REVIEW
• CHECK
• HARK
• BRIEF
• HOLD
• STAUNCH
• LAMA
• ENGAGE
• CURB
• OUTLINE
• OCCUPY

NYT Connections today (game #856) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Deeply involve 
• GREEN: An edited assessment 
• BLUE: Bring to a stop
• PURPLE: Beasts with a missing element

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #856) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CAPTIVATE 
• GREEN: SUMMARY 
• BLUE: HALT 
• PURPLE: ANIMALS MINUS STARTING LETTER 

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

NYT Connections today (game #856) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

• YELLOW: CAPTIVATE ABSORB, ENGAGE, HOLD, OCCUPY
• GREEN: SUMMARY BRIEF, DIGEST, OUTLINE, REVIEW
• BLUE: HALT CHECK, CURB, STAUNCH, STEM
• PURPLE: ANIMALS MINUS STARTING LETTER ANTHER, EASEL, HARK, LAMA

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

When you get two mistakes, it’s a good idea to pause and refocus. But after doing that today I ended up getting a third "one away".

There were so many crossover words that could find themselves in several groups, that I think I can forgive myself for lumping in HOLD with CURB, STAUNCH and STEM and ABSORB with DIGEST, REVIEW and ENGAGE.

In fact the easiest group – if your brain is wired to see such things – was ANIMALS MINUS STARTING LETTER. Kudos if you saw that before picking your way through the remaining tiles.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, October 13, game #855)

• YELLOW: METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS CAN OF WORMS, HORNET'S NEST, MINEFIELD, PANDORA'S BOX
• GREEN: BAR EVENTS HAPPY HOUR, KARAOKE, LIVE MUSIC, TRIVIA NIGHT
• BLUE: WORDS AFTER A WELCOME DEPARTURE ABOUT TIME, FINALLY, GOOD RIDDANCE, SAYONARA
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE" AMERICAN HUSTLE, COMIC CON, GOLDEN FLEECE, LUCKY STIFF

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, October 14 (game #1359)

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, October 13 (game #1358).

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 #1359) - 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 #1359) - 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 #1359) - 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 #1359) - 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 #1359) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• B

• G

• T

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

Quordle today (game #1359) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1359, are…

• AVAIL
• BLEEP
• GONER
• THROW

Quordle deja-vu was my saviour today, as memories of two words that have previously featured in games popped into my head.

I didn’t realize that BLEEP and GONER are living in my brain rent free, but that appears to be the case. Oh dear.

Daily Sequence today (game #1359) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1359, are…

• VAULT
• TRAIT
• PLANT
• BRAID

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1358, Monday, 13 October: OTTER, WOMAN, GLOBE, BEZEL
• Quordle #1357, Sunday, 12 October: ROTOR, POOCH, SHYLY, GUAVA
• Quordle #1356, Saturday, 11 October: SUSHI, DROLL, BEING, NOSEY
• Quordle #1355, Friday, 10 October: STAMP, COWER, DRILL, SCORN
• Quordle #1354, Thursday, 9 October: CROOK, EXACT, INDEX, PRIDE
• Quordle #1353, Wednesday, 8 October: STEAM, SQUAD, GRIMY, UNZIP
• Quordle #1352, Tuesday, 7 October: ACRID, SALON, PLEAT, CHURN
• Quordle #1351, Monday, 6 October: SHARP, LODGE, TIMER, PAUSE
• Quordle #1350, Sunday, 5 October: FUROR, QUOTH, PRIMO, FIGHT
• Quordle #1349, Saturday, 4 October: AGING, INTER, SLUNG, GLOSS
• Quordle #1348, Friday, 3 October: BOUND, TWINE, GROSS, MUCKY
• Quordle #1347, Thursday, 2 October: DIZZY, WACKY, APNEA, QUIET
• Quordle #1346, Wednesday, 1 October: DECRY, AMPLY, AGATE, ALARM
• Quordle #1345, Tuesday, 30 September: LITHE, WATER, FEMUR, FINCH
• Quordle #1344, Monday, 29 September: STINK, GROIN, TUBER, DROOP
• Quordle #1343, Sunday, 28 September: AMUSE, TWEED, PINTO, TONIC
• Quordle #1342, Saturday, 27 September: CRIED, HYDRO, LYING, FERRY
• Quordle #1341, Friday, 26 September: RISKY, SCARF, CARGO, PASTE
• Quordle #1340, Thursday, 25 September: SLIMY, ABYSS, RUMBA, SHALT
• Quordle #1339, Wednesday, 24 September: CHURN, STUNT, MADAM, GAZER

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 14 (game #590)

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, October 13 (game #589).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… This & that

NYT Strands today (game #590) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PLEAD
• JOKE
• CORN
• LINER
• DIRECTLY
• RULE

NYT Strands today (game #590) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #590) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: 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 #590) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #590, are…

• PEBBLE
• STONE
• BOULDER
• JELLY
• DINNER
• CRESCENT
• SPANGRAM: ROCKANDROLL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After getting PEBBLE, STONE, BOULDER and then the spangram in quick succession I was sure that I would be looking for more rocks, but I quickly hit an, erm, rock.

Instead, Strands pulled off a cunning board division and the second half of my search was looking for rolls – very clever – of which JELLY was the first I found.

Despite this cunning trick, this was still an easy game with only the lengthy spangram providing a challenge to pick out.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, October 13, game #589)

• FINCH
• HAWK
• GOOSE
• DUCK
• WARBLER
• WREN
• THRUSH
• SPANGRAM: FALLMIGRATION

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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Microsoft isn't just abandoning Windows 10 - this version of Windows 11 is heading for the scrapheap too

• Microsoft just reminded us that Windows 11 23H2 is about to lose support
• The last security update for 23H2 will be provided in November
• After that, you won't get any further security patches, so you should move to Windows 11 24H2 (or 25H2)

Microsoft has again reminded Windows 11 users who are still running the aging version 23H2 that they need to upgrade to a newer spin on the OS, as support is about to run out.

Yes, it's not just Windows 10 which is about to have support discontinued - that happens tomorrow, in fact - but also Windows 11 23H2, although the support deadline isn't quite as close for the latter.

As Microsoft makes clear on its release health dashboard (as spotted by Bleeping Computer): "Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, version 23H2 will continue to receive monthly security updates until November 11, 2025."

After that, there will no longer be any security updates supplied to Windows 11 23H2, so if you haven't yet upgraded to version 24H2 (or 25H2), then you need to do so within the next month. (Although it's worth noting that a lot of people have already had this upgrade pushed on them by Microsoft.

This is actually the fourth warning Microsoft has issued this year about support ceasing for Windows 11 23H2, and it will be the last one before the final cumulative update is delivered in November.

Analysis: time to make a move

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

People running Windows 11 23H2 are in much the same boat as those on Windows 10, in terms of not having any security updates going forward being a bad thing. Without monthly updates to fix security flaws, version 23H2 will become vulnerable to exploits, and as time goes on, potentially more and more avenues of compromise will be left open.

While it's understandable that some folks might not have made the leap to 24H2 after hearing about it being a particularly buggy update in its initial stages, matters have settled down now - and of course we've just had 25H2 through, as well. You'll need to make the move to version 24H2 first, though, before you'll be offered 25H2 - and the latter is a minor upgrade anyway. Indeed, they're both essentially the same, aside from some small tweaks and the odd little feature addition with 25H2, but nothing worth shouting about as I've discussed before.

At any rate, the time to get 24H2 is now upon us, although this is only true for Windows 11 Home and Pro. Those on Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11 23H2 can stick with that version for another year, as they get support through to November 10, 2026.

For those on Windows 10, it's also worth noting that you can get extended support through to October 2026, as well, and you should avail yourself of that free offer if you intend to stick with the older operating system.

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!

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Assassin's Creed Shadows for Nintendo Switch 2 spotted at French retailer - and yes, it's a Game-Key Card

• A Switch 2 listing for Assassin's Creed Shadows has been spotted
• A French retailer is listing the game, but no price or date are attached
• It appears to be a Game-Key Card release

A Nintendo Switch 2 version of Assassin's Creed Shadows is looking pretty likely now, as a rogue listing has appeared at a French retailer, and it's still live at the time of writing.

Spotted by VGC, the listing is available to view at the French outlet Auchan. Naturally, you can't purchase or pre-order this potential Switch 2 version just yet - nor is any kind of price tag attached.

The production description (machine translated from French to English) states: "Experience Assassin's Creed Shadows in a whole new way with Nintendo Switch 2!" Whether that's just a fancy way of saying it's coming to Nintendo's console, or if the port will make use of bespoke Switch 2 features like gyro aiming or mouse controls, remains to be seen.

One other thing of note - and something that I can see genuinely turning some folks away from purchasing this Switch 2 version - is that (according to the box art) it will be a Game-Key Card. This rather controversial method of delivering games means that it isn't pre-installed on the cartridge, with it essentially acting as a 'key' to download the game once it's been slotted into the Switch 2.

That's not unexpected. The Switch 2 port of Star Wars Outlaws was also a Game-Key Card release. Of course, the box art featured on the Auchan page could be a placeholder, and Ubisoft has yet to officially confirm the existence of this Assassin's Creed Shadows port. But the publisher does seem set on continuing to provide its games via Game-Key Cards.

Above all, I am keen to see just how well Assassin's Creed Shadows could run on Switch 2. Star Wars Outlaws was a very impressive port, and I can see Shadows being a similar story, albeit with the expected hardware-related stipulations.

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!

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• Prepare for a flood of PS6 release date speculation as PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny teases new graphics tech powered by AMD
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Quordle hints and answers for Monday, October 13 (game #1358)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, October 12 (game #1357).

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 #1358) - 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 #1358) - 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 #1358) - 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 #1358) - 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 #1358) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• O

• W

• G

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1358) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1358, are…

• OTTER
• WOMAN
• GLOBE
• BEZEL

Aside from a silly mistake where I used the same letter in the same position twice, I’m really pleased I completed today’s game. 

A day of very hard to get words, topped off by BEZEL.

Daily Sequence today (game #1358) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1358, are…

• SCOWL
• ENSUE
• ETHOS
• PEACE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1357, Sunday, 12 October: ROTOR, POOCH, SHYLY, GUAVA
• Quordle #1356, Saturday, 11 October: SUSHI, DROLL, BEING, NOSEY
• Quordle #1355, Friday, 10 October: STAMP, COWER, DRILL, SCORN
• Quordle #1354, Thursday, 9 October: CROOK, EXACT, INDEX, PRIDE
• Quordle #1353, Wednesday, 8 October: STEAM, SQUAD, GRIMY, UNZIP
• Quordle #1352, Tuesday, 7 October: ACRID, SALON, PLEAT, CHURN
• Quordle #1351, Monday, 6 October: SHARP, LODGE, TIMER, PAUSE
• Quordle #1350, Sunday, 5 October: FUROR, QUOTH, PRIMO, FIGHT
• Quordle #1349, Saturday, 4 October: AGING, INTER, SLUNG, GLOSS
• Quordle #1348, Friday, 3 October: BOUND, TWINE, GROSS, MUCKY
• Quordle #1347, Thursday, 2 October: DIZZY, WACKY, APNEA, QUIET
• Quordle #1346, Wednesday, 1 October: DECRY, AMPLY, AGATE, ALARM
• Quordle #1345, Tuesday, 30 September: LITHE, WATER, FEMUR, FINCH
• Quordle #1344, Monday, 29 September: STINK, GROIN, TUBER, DROOP
• Quordle #1343, Sunday, 28 September: AMUSE, TWEED, PINTO, TONIC
• Quordle #1342, Saturday, 27 September: CRIED, HYDRO, LYING, FERRY
• Quordle #1341, Friday, 26 September: RISKY, SCARF, CARGO, PASTE
• Quordle #1340, Thursday, 25 September: SLIMY, ABYSS, RUMBA, SHALT
• Quordle #1339, Wednesday, 24 September: CHURN, STUNT, MADAM, GAZER
• Quordle #1338, Tuesday, 23 September: GLOAT, GRUEL, SPASM, SPORT

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, October 13 (game #589)

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, October 12 (game #588).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Bring binoculars

NYT Strands today (game #589) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NOTION
• TARE
• SWIM
• WASH
• BRAG
• CUBE

NYT Strands today (game #589) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #589) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 6th column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #589) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #589, are…

• FINCH
• HAWK
• GOOSE
• DUCK
• WARBLER
• WREN
• THRUSH
• SPANGRAM: FALLMIGRATION

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

“Bring binoculars” seemed like a real mystery at first. Binoculars are the sort of thing people would take on boat trips to spot whales or if they were a spy, but I couldn’t think of any occasion that was worthy of a Strands collection.

Then I found FINCH and HAWK on the board, and the penny dropped that the theme was connected to birdwatching or specifically, according to the extra-long spangram, to observing the FALLMIGRATION.

Despite featuring some short bird names – apart from the tricky WARBLER – this was far from an easy game and it took me longer than usual to complete.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, October 12, game #588)

• SPADES
• HEARTS
• WHIST
• BRIDGE
• PINOCHLE
• EUCHRE
• SPANGRAM: TRICKTAKING

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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NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, October 13 (game #855)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Connections hints and answers for Sunday, October 12 (game #854).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #855) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PANDORA'S BOX
• LUCKY STIFF
• LIVE MUSIC
• GOLDEN FLEECE
• GOOD
• RIDDANCE
• HAPPY HOUR
• HORNET'S NEST
• COMIC CON
• KARAOKE
• AMERICAN HUSTLE
• SAYONARA
• MINEFIELD
• FINALLY
• CAN OF WORMS 
• TRIVIA NIGHT
• ABOUT TIME

NYT Connections today (game #855) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: A forewarning of disagreement
• GREEN: What’s on at the pub
• BLUE: Sarcastic goodbyes
• PURPLE: Part trickery

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #855) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS
• GREEN: BAR EVENTS
• BLUE: WORDS AFTER A WELCOME DEPARTURE
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE"

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

NYT Connections today (game #855) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

• YELLOW: METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS CAN OF WORMS, HORNET'S NEST, MINEFIELD, PANDORA'S BOX
• GREEN: BAR EVENTS HAPPY HOUR, KARAOKE, LIVE MUSIC, TRIVIA NIGHT
• BLUE: WORDS AFTER A WELCOME DEPARTURE ABOUT TIME, FINALLY, GOOD RIDDANCE, SAYONARA
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE" AMERICAN HUSTLE, COMIC CON, GOLDEN FLEECE, LUCKY STIFF

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

To quote one of today’s tiles, this game was a MINEFIELD. Two-word tiles make me uneasy and this board seemed like a complex tangle of words where I could find two things in common for about six of them, but nothing beyond that.

Gradually the mist began to part and rather than think of Japanese links to KARAOKE I saw chalkboard signs outside bars, and instead of possible ship names to add to GOLDEN FLEECE I saw all the other words that mean pulling a prank on someone.

After getting BAR EVENTS and ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE" I ground to a halt and got METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS through sheer luck. I was glad to get this one done and out of my head.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, October 12, game #854)

• YELLOW: FOR ALL TIME ETERNAL, EVERLASTING, FOREVER, PERMANENT
• GREEN: ESTABLISHES BEGINS, INSTITUTES, LAUNCHES, PIONEERS
• BLUE: BIRDS KITE, ROBIN, SWALLOW, SWIFT
• PURPLE: HAPPY ____ DAYS, ENDING, RETURNS, TRAILS

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, October 12 (game #588)

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, October 11 (game #587).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Follow suit

NYT Strands today (game #588) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• DIET
• SHEAR
• TAKING
• RIDGE
• WHITE
• BRICK

NYT Strands today (game #588) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #588) - 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 #588) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #588, are…

• SPADES
• HEARTS
• WHIST
• BRIDGE
• PINOCHLE
• EUCHRE
• SPANGRAM: TRICKTAKING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

This game played a real trick on me – ironic considering the spangram.

I started off thinking that “follow suit” must mean card suits and after getting SPADES and HEARTS easily I set about looking for diamonds, clubs, and a joker. After finding none of these I decided to take a hint from the non-game words I spotted, which gave me WHIST.

The spangram and BRIDGE were easy to spot, but the final two card games really foxed me. Another hint helped narrow things down, something I needed, having never played either PINOCHLE or EUCHRE. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 11, game #587)

• PEACOCK
• ARCHES
• APPLE
• BULLSEYE
• SHELL
• SWOOSH
• SPANGRAM: ICONICLOGOS

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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NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, October 12 (game #854)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, October 11 (game #853).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #854) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BEGINS
• SWIFT
• DAYS
• RETURNS
• FOREVER
• ENDING
• ROBIN
• TRAILS
• SWALLOW
• PIONEERS
• PERMANENT
• INSTITUTES
• EVERLASTING
• KITE
• LAUNCHES
• ETERNAL

NYT Connections today (game #854) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Won’t fade away
• GREEN: At the start
• BLUE: Feathered friends
• PURPLE: Start with the opposite of “sad”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #854) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: FOR ALL TIME
• GREEN: ESTABLISHES
• BLUE: BIRDS 
• PURPLE: HAPPY ____ 

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

NYT Connections today (game #854) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

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

• YELLOW: FOR ALL TIME ETERNAL, EVERLASTING, FOREVER, PERMANENT
• GREEN: ESTABLISHES BEGINS, INSTITUTES, LAUNCHES, PIONEERS
• BLUE: BIRDS KITE, ROBIN, SWALLOW, SWIFT
• PURPLE: HAPPY ____ DAYS, ENDING, RETURNS, TRAILS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 mistake

I made hard work of this game, where even the purple-hardest group was quite straightforward.

Hopefully I wasn’t the only nerd to put FOREVER, BEGINS, RETURNS, and ETERNAL together thinking that the connection was Batman. Alas, it was not to be, but the error forced me to think again more clearly.

SWIFT has appeared a few times in bird groups and I’m always tempted to make a lame joke about being a Swifty as they really are the most remarkable creatures.

Everything about them is extraordinary – much like Taylor, they never stop moving, spending their entire lives on the wing, eating, sleeping and mating while in flight. Well, that last bit isn’t like Taylor. As far as we know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, October 11, game #853)

• YELLOW: EQUIPMENT GEAR, KIT, STUFF, TACKLE
• GREEN: DRESS IN DON, PUT ON, SPORT, WEAR
• BLUE: STREET SUFFIXES ALLEY, COURT, LANE, WAY
• PURPLE: NICKNAMES THAT HAVE OTHER MEANINGS BILL, BOB, PAT, TOM

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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The Apple Mac roadmap for 2025 and 2026 may have leaked – through macOS Tahoe 26

• New MacBooks and Macs are rumored to be incoming
• These models are due across 2025 and 2026
• Almost every Apple computer model could get a refresh

We saw rumors around the new M5 MacBook Pro earlier this week, and now a fresh leak may have revealed Apple's entire Mac launch roadmap for the rest of this year and across next year – through details in the macOS Tahoe 26 software development timeline.

Sources speaking to AppleInsider, who are apparently familiar with macOS Tahoe 26 development and testing, have suggested that the M5 MacBook Pro is indeed going to be unveiled in the not-too-distant future.

Then, we're going to get the 13-inch and 15-inch M5 MacBook Air refresh early in 2026, these sources say. Those models would replace the current M4 MacBook Air model, which we had lots of nice things to say about in our M4 MacBook Air review.

As per this leak, the new MacBook Air is making its debut at the same time as macOS Tahoe 26.2. The M4 version of the laptop was launched in March 2025, also with a macOS update – macOS Sequoia 15.3. So the parallels are there.

Desktop computers

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro (Image credit: Future)

After that, we're apparently getting the high-end MacBook Pro variants, running M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. It sounds as though these models will show up soon after the M5 MacBook Air, completing the M5 MacBook Pro lineup.

Apple has more Mac plans for 2026, it would seem: a new Mac mini and a new Mac Studio are then tipped to show up in the middle of 2026. They might be joined by a new iMac, but the sources behind the leak seem less confident about this model.

These desktop computers would all replace the current versions, of course: the most recent desktop Mac launch we've had was in March 2025, when the M3 Ultra Mac Studio made its debut, so updates will definitely be due by next year.

It looks as though it's going to be a busy time for Apple across the end of 2025 and 2026, and there'll be lots more from the company besides these Macs too: new iPad Pros and potentially the iPhone 17e are expected over the coming months.

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Valve's Steam Deck inspired VR headset might be launching soon –here's what we know

• Valve is reportedly launching a VR headset called the Steam Frame soon
• Analysts have said the mysterious headset has entered mass production
• Leaked specs tease a headset more powerful than the Meta Quest 3

While there’s a lot of buzz about the (likely) incoming Samsung Moohan headset – its first, and the first in general, Android XR device to be unleashed on the public – there’s another VR headset we might soon see from another familiar tech face: Valve.

The so-called Steam Frame has been much teased by leaks and speculation just like Samsung’s Moohan. It was even widely believed it would have launched at an event in September which never materialized (again like Moohan), and is also believed to be landing at some point before the end of 2025.

Unlike Samsung’s headset, however, Valve has been much more tight lipped about this device, but analyst firms and leaks have given us a few details.

The first is a predicted release date of this year, with the latest reports (via UploadVR) saying the headset has entered mass production. This follows a trademark filing last month for a device called the ‘Steam Frame’ – with Valve usually only filing trademarks soon before a product launch.

The Steam Deck taught Valve a lot apparently (Image credit: Mr.Mikla - Shutterstock)

As for the device itself, what we know is based on Valve’s own comments in an interview with Tested. VR was brought up during the chat and Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat and product designer Lawrence Yang hinted that lessons from the Steam Deck would be applied to future hardware efforts – strongly hinting at a wireless rather than tethered approach for the Steam Frame.

This is further supported by leaked specs from SadlyItsBradley (a generally reliable source for VR leaks) that the headset will boast a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset – which it would only need if it was a standalone device.

He says this chipset would have a GPU that’s one generation newer than what the XR2 Gen 2 boasts, suggesting Valve’s headset will have at least a slight technical edge over the Meta Quest 3.

I would hope that edge was more than slight, however, as according to Valve leak Gabe Follower the device will cost $1,200 (around £900 / AU$1,850) which is over double the price of a Meta Quest 3.

We’ll have to wait and see what Valve showcases when it’s ready to announce its next hardware. Even if it doesn’t land this side of 2026, multiple signs are pointing to an imminent Frame reveal and launch, so we’re keeping our eyes out for any kind of teaser or announcement from Valve.

When or if it has something to share we’ll be sure to let you know.

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Thinking of buying a new PC? You might want to move soon, as a perfect storm looks to be brewing for component price hikes

• China is introducing new export controls on rare-earth elements
• Those elements are used in making a whole lot of PC components
• This could exert further pricing pressures on the makers of those components, on top of already-existing market forces pushing up the cost of drives and RAM

If you didn't want to hear more negativity about further pressures on the prices of PCs and related components like SSDs, then brace yourself – there's a new danger on the horizon.

Tom's Hardware reports that China is bringing in new export controls on rare-earth elements which are used in the manufacture of many important PC components.

This move comes into play from December 2025, and is actually an extension of rules brought in back in April, extending China's export controls to elements like holmium, thulium, erbium, ytterbium, europium, terbium and more.

China says that the distribution of these rare-earth elements is being strictly policed as a matter of national security, and export of these materials will be denied for uses in semiconductors or the defense industry.

Not just that, but the associated technical know-how of how elements are turned into magnets falls under the new rules.

Magnets are vital for storage products, as are rare-earth elements related to building motors for hard drives, and also the likes of cooling fans. Monitors will also be hit, with LCD panels and backlights using phosphor compounds that contain these rare-earth minerals.

Tom's Hardware notes that even silicon chips may feel some pressure in terms of restrictions around cerium oxide slurries, which are used in polishing the large wafers that are turned into processors.

Analysis: The only way is up, price-wise

(Image credit: ShutterStock)

There could be some seriously widespread effects here, then, especially as China is by far the biggest supplier of these rare-earth elements.

If it becomes more difficult to source these, and if pricing goes up for manufacturers – or delays in obtaining these materials hit production lines – the end result for consumers won't be good. As always, whenever price rises occur in the manufacturing process, those costs are passed on to the buyer of the product, so profit margins can be maintained.

There are a couple of thorny problems here, the first being that it's not like there's an array of alternatives other than China for getting these elements (particularly some of them). Although some companies have already been exploring different paths, and as Tom's Hardware notes, Western Digital, which makes a wide range of storage products, fired up a scheme to extract and recycle rare-earth minerals from old drives earlier this year.

The second major hitch for would-be PC buyers is that this comes off the back of a whole raft of recent bad news about the cost of SSDs and hard drives going up, and system RAM too. With the price of various components steadily rising, the overall bill for buying (or building) a new PC could start to become considerably more costly as 2026 kicks off and rolls onwards.

This year's Black Friday sales could be even busier than normal on the PC front, as people try to get in with a bargain ahead of these various pricing pressures.

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