NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 6 (game #947)

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 5 (game #946).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Changing course

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HOOF
• HOOT
• STOVE
• ROAR
• SEAL
• SLED

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 16 letters

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 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 #947) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #947, are…

• FLIP
• UNDO
• REVERSED
• OVERTURN
• BACKPEDAL
• SPANGRAM: THEOLDSWITCHEROO

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I saw “switch” and then I saw “switcheroo” but it took me until the very end of the game to finally connect today’s spangram.

At 16 letters long THEOLDSWITCHEROO is the longest spangram we've had in ages; “cardiovascular” last month was 14 characters long, but I can't think of an example that's been longer recently. And, in true switchback style, it also completed the unusual feat of starting and ending on the same side of the grid.

All in all this was a trickier-than-usual search, with hard to get non-game words and BACKPEDAL connecting in spiralling fashion.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, October 5, game #946)

• ALAS
• BUMMER
• SUCKS
• BOOHOO
• UNFORTUNATE
• SORRY
• SPANGRAM: SADTROMBONE

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 Tuesday, October 6 (game #1213)

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 5 (game #1212).

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 #1213) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ADIRONDACK
• KNICKKNACK
• CATSKILL
• HOLIDAY
• COMFORT
• BERKSHIRE
• STABILITY
• HAMPTON
• WINDSOR
• MERRILL
• WINGBACK
• DAYS
• CITI
• PIANOFORTE
• EAMES
• GOLDMAN

NYT Connections today (game #1213) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Wall Street mobs
• GREEN: Famous for sitting on
• BLUE: Chains where you can stay
• PURPLE: End with something you are good at

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 #1213) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT
• GREEN: KINDS OF CHAIRS
• BLUE: INN HOTELS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN TALENTS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1213) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1213, are…

• YELLOW: FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT: BERKSHIRE, CITI, GOLDMAN, MERRILL
• GREEN: KINDS OF CHAIRS: ADIRONDACK, EAMES, WINDSOR, WINGBACK
• BLUE: INN HOTELS: COMFORT, DAYS, HAMPTON, HOLIDAY
• PURPLE: ENDING IN TALENTS: CATSKILL, KNICKKNACK, PIANOFORTE, STABILITY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

I was on the right track with today’s green and blue groups, but it took me multiple attempts to get both right.

I knew that EAMES and WINGBACK were famous chairs and took a guess with the other two tiles after initially trying BERKSHIRE and then MERRILL. Then, for INN HOTELS, I had DAYS, COMFORT and HOLIDAY locked in but couldn’t decide on the fourth with Hilton offshoot HAMPTON passing me by.

I also blanked on the financial firms that made up the yellow group, but fortunately saved myself by spotting the four tiles ENDING IN TALENTS. I certainly have a talent for making Connections hard for myself.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, October 5, 2026, game #1212)

• YELLOW: CALM: CONTENT, PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT: EXPLICIT, GRAPHIC, STRONG, SUGGESTIVE
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS: ADVISORY, CHESS, IRONING, MESSAGE
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE: PARENT, PLEASE, SAPPHIRE, SLOAN

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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Nearly 40,000 phishing attacks hit US financial firms in H1 2026 — automated AI agents and a new Seychelles bulletproof host fuel aggressive new campaigns

• US financial services faced nearly 40,000 phishing URLs during H1 2026
• Attackers used 645 hosting providers to distribute financial phishing campaigns
• Free hosting carried 12.6% of phishing URLs targeting financial services

Phishing campaigns targeting American financial institutions are spreading across a fragmented web of hosting services, making fraudulent infrastructure difficult to contain.

New research from Netcraft has uncovered almost 40,000 unique phishing URLs connected to US financial services were discovered in the first half of 2026.

Behind those URLs were 645 hosting providers and 576 registrars, while newer services and automated AI tools helped attackers move quickly between platforms.

Cheap infrastructure is helping campaigns multiply

The scale of the activity becomes clearer when the services carrying these attacks are examined rather than the fraudulent websites alone.

Free developer and application hosting accounted for 12.6% of phishing URLs recorded against US financial services during H1 2026.

That means approximately one in eight observed attacks relied upon infrastructure that attackers could access without paying conventional hosting fees.

Netcraft observed significant changes in infrastructure use between Q1 and Q2, suggesting criminals were switching services as infrastructure became unavailable or less useful.

AI is making that movement easier by helping users create websites, reproduce legitimate pages and deploy malicious infrastructure with less technical effort.

Netcraft said generative AI website builders and cloning tools increasingly include free web hosting options, further reducing the work required to establish campaigns.

The financial brands being impersonated also show where attackers are concentrating their efforts across the sector during the reporting period.

Payment service providers accounted for 37.2% of observed phishing activity, with PayPal representing 80.6% of attacks within that subsector.

American Express accounted for 72.8% of observed activity involving card networks, showing how heavily campaigns can focus on recognizable financial brands.

Omegatech emerges as another source of attack infrastructure

The infrastructure picture changed further with the emergence of Omegatech, a paid hosting provider based in the Seychelles, which started operations in January 2026.

By June, Netcraft attributed roughly 3% of observed phishing attacks against US financial services to infrastructure hosted through Omegatech.

One cluster contained 16 .es domains that generated 585 unique attack URLs between March 25 and April 21 2026.

Those domains were used to impersonate 41 financial brands through subdomains, allowing one cluster to support campaigns against numerous institutions.

Registration data for many of those domains was unavailable, limiting visibility into the companies responsible for registering the infrastructure.

Omegatech's emergence came as another major campaign was winding down after targeting Fidelity Investments through the Darcula phishing platform.

That operation fell sevenfold from Q1 to Q2, after previously accounting for more than half of phishing infrastructure impersonating Fidelity.

Meanwhile, financially motivated North Korean groups and organized criminal operators continued pursuing banks, cryptocurrency services and compromised accounts.

The changing mix suggests that attackers are not relying on one platform, campaign or technique to reach financial customers.

Financial companies are advised to closely monitor newly registered domains, restrict suspicious links and strengthen employee verification procedures against impersonation attempts.

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Windows 11 update packs a bug that's making the lives of gamers a misery

• Microsoft has admitted there's a bug in the latest Windows 11 update
• The September preview update causes some games and apps to crash
• According to some reports, this patch is also leading to sluggish performance, or even boot failures, so tread very carefully

Windows 11's latest update has a bug that's causing havoc with some PC games and apps, or worse still, according to reports that have found the upgrade breaking their entire system.

Windows Latest highlighted a post on the Windows health dashboard where Microsoft admits there's a problem with September's optional update, which was released almost two weeks ago now.

Bear in mind that this patch (KB5124010) is a preview update, then, but there certainly seem to be quite a few issues for gamers here based on some of the feedback on social media. These problems affect Windows 11 26H2 and 25H2 users, as well as those still on 24H2.

Microsoft tells us that: "Some applications which require the decoding of AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio might close unexpectedly."

The company adds: "Affected applications may vary and can include games, media players, and certain productivity applications."

The bug may cause the game or app to completely fail to launch, or it might crash, and in some circumstances things could be fine until certain features are used, notably playing music.

At least Microsoft assures us that "many modern applications do not use Windows for this type of encoding and therefore will not encounter this issue," but clearly there are problems here.

There are reports on Reddit from gamers expressing their displeasure at witnessing crashing with, for example, Fallout: New Vegas, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Wardogs. In all cases, players found that the problems started after installing the September preview patch, and ceased when the update was removed.

What's more worrying is that some of the affected gamers are reporting more serious issues that include the system ending up broken with boot failures, or very slow performance for booting or shutting down the PC. Other complaints include general sluggishness on the desktop.

As one Redditor observes: "KB5124010 was a disaster on one of my Win11 25H2 PCs. It caused boot issues, very slow shutdown/search, and after uninstalling it the machine got stuck at the Asus logo and stopped booting. Clean reinstall in the end."

Another agrees: "I thought I was going insane with slow boot up. File Explorer issues. Just big grey boxes taking forever."

Analysis: this needs a quick fix

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Microsoft says: "We are working on releasing a resolution for this issue in a future Windows update. We will provide an update when more information is available."

Well, this is a nasty one by all accounts, so Microsoft better muster all its bug squashing powers pretty swiftly. After all, while this is a preview update now, it becomes the full October update for Windows 11 a week tomorrow – so that's not far away at all.

Also, there are some folks who may have wanted to grab this optional update straight away because it packs a fix for a previous bug in the September (non-preview) update which broke a backup feature in Windows 11. So, they could have downloaded KB5124010 and been happy to receive this particular fix, only to find that their games or apps are suddenly in hot water (or worse). Sadly this kind of situation is all too common with Windows 11 these days.

Furthermore, this is a warning to be careful around preview updates, because seemingly the only cure for the bugs here is to uninstall the patch – there's no workaround. Also be aware that if you have selected the option to 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' in Windows 11 then you will get all these preview updates automatically, and possibly be hit by bugs like these.

That's why I'd be cautious about exercising this right, even if you are very keen to receive new Windows 11 features as soon as possible.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, October 5 (game #946)

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 4 (game #945).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Oh well, too bad, what a shame

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BONE
• SCUM
• HOOD
• TREAT
• CURB
• TURN

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 3rd column

• Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #946) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #946, are…

• ALAS
• BUMMER
• SUCKS
• BOOHOO
• UNFORTUNATE
• SORRY
• SPANGRAM: SADTROMBONE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I was thrilled to get a Spangram First yesterday but there was absolutely no chance of spotting it today — congratulations if you were smart enough to see it.

I was totally puzzled by the theme, so I took a hint — but ALAS didn’t help me much.

Fortunately, I managed to connect BUMMER (not a word I was expecting to see in a game of Strands) and from here managed to make my sad SORRY way around the board. BOOHOO me.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, October 4, game #945)

• PONG
• FROGGER
• ASTEROIDS
• CENTIPEDE
• SCRAMBLE
• SPANGRAM FIRST: ARCADEGAMES

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 5 (game #1212)

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 4 (game #1211).

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 #1212) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PARENT
• ADVISORY
• EXPLICIT
• CONTENT
• CHESS
• PLEASE
• MESSAGE
• GRAPHIC
• STRONG
• SAPPHIRE
• SUGGESTIVE
• SERENE
• PEACEFUL
• IRONING
• SLOAN
• PLACID

NYT Connections today (game #1212) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Relaxed contentment
• GREEN: Adult warnings
• BLUE: A stiff word in common
• PURPLE: You can’t own these hidden words

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 #1212) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CALM
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE

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

NYT Connections today (game #1212) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1212, are…

• YELLOW: CALM: CONTENT, PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT: EXPLICIT, GRAPHIC, STRONG, SUGGESTIVE
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS: ADVISORY, CHESS, IRONING, MESSAGE
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE: PARENT, PLEASE, SAPPHIRE, SLOAN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Back in the 1990s many hip-hop albums — or at least those that were deemed dangerous — carried PARENT ADVISORY stickers on them warning parents and carers of the contents of their children’s record store purchases. Naturally, like all warnings it backfired and the stickers helped sales of these so-called offensive products rather than leading to wholesome blasphemy- and cursing-free music.

I mention this because seeing PARENT, ADVISORY, GRAPHIC and MESSAGE I came close to building a group honoring that strange moment in pop-culture history.

Having said that, I was almost on the right track with the green group of ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, October 4, 2026, game #1211)

• YELLOW: CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT: BUNCH, HEAP, LOT, STACK
• GREEN: TABLE TENNIS NEEDS: BALL, NET, PADDLE, TABLE
• BLUE: PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME: COLLAR, GAVEL, ROBE, WIG
• PURPLE: SILENT ____: AUCTION, FILM, PARTNER, TREATMENT

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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Control Resonant composer says it's his duty to 'represent the story,' but sometimes offers it 'in a different light, as contradicting the on-screen events can be really delicious'

• Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko says a musical score is "an emotional vessel"
• He explains that it's his duty "to represent the story in the most beautiful light possible"
• Alanko adds that the music "must be able to exist by itself, without the game and the story"

Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko thinks of a game's musical score as another way to tell the story, and it's his job to do that, even if he sometimes takes some creative liberties.

"In my thoughts, a score is what one might call an emotional vessel - or a tray for the story," Alanko told TechRadar Gaming in an interview about Remedy Entertainment's latest action game. "My duty is to represent the story in the most beautiful light possible, to help drill the ideas and the vision into the heads of those who experience the events."

The composer compared it to his band, where on stage it's his role to help the soloist "be the best version of themselves and showcase their talents in the most elegant way possible," saying that the "Same applies" to a video game.

"What I do is a series of deep bows towards the story; I love the story; it’s an honour for me to make it even more approachable and beautiful," he said. "But… it must be able to exist by itself, without the game and the story. Otherwise, it’d be just a pointless collection of noodling. I carry the responsibility of respecting both the story creator and especially those who enjoy the story."

Alanko went on to liken what he does to a customer service business, but added, "Trust me: I wouldn’t do anything just to please others; I do this to please myself. Simple as that."

"If I don’t like what I do, nobody else will, and, just to be clear and precise, I do really enjoy what I do," he reiterated, "my self-confidence is in very good shape that way (laughs). If something moves me, there’s a good chance it might move someone else, too."

While Alanko believes that it's a composer's job to translate the Remedy's story to the audience with his talent, he admitted: "I sometimes offer the story in a different light, as contradicting the on-screen events can be really delicious."

"It’s a very human feature to make errors, to have a sudden twist of a knife in your side in the middle of the most heroic event, as if someone reminded you of your mortality and how different the outcome would be if this-or-that happened," Alanko added. "A bit like memento mori. It makes you humble; it makes you human."

You can play Control Resonant now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, October 4 (game #945)

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 3 (game #944).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Grab your tokens

NYT Strands today (game #945) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STAG
• SEAT
• GATES
• RIDE
• GORE
• DECADE
• SONG
• BELT

NYT Strands today (game #945) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #945) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 1st column

• Last side: top, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #945) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #945, are…

• PONG
• FROGGER
• ASTEROIDS
• CENTIPEDE
• SCRAMBLE
• SPANGRAM FIRST: ARCADEGAMES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

When I saw today’s theme “grab your tokens” I immediately thought of video games and went in search of the word “arcade”. And thus ARCADEGAMES became my 107th Spangram First.

Arcades trigger plenty of memories for me, but mainly how laughably awful I was at every single game I tried — everyone else I knew was amazing at them and would stay on for ages, whereas I’d lose my life in seconds even on simple games such as Pac-Man. I didn’t mind, though; I was an enthusiastic spectator.

Having said all that, despite getting PONG, FROGGER and ASTEROIDS in a quick blast, the lesser-played CENTIPEDE and SCRAMBLE were harder to spot.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 3, game #944)

• MIRAGE
• ILLUSION
• CHIMERA
• SPECTER
• PHANTASM
• SPANGRAM:WILLOTHEWISP

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 4 (game #1211)

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 3 (game #1210).

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 #1211) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WIG
• FILM
• AUCTION
• TABLE
• PADDLE
• COLLAR
• GAVEL
• LOT
• BUNCH
• BALL
• PARTNER
• NET
• ROBE
• HEAP
• TREATMENT
• STACK

NYT Connections today (game #1211) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: A pile of things
• GREEN: Ping pong equipment
• BLUE: All rise
• PURPLE: Begin with a noiseless word

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 #1211) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT
• GREEN: TABLE TENNIS NEEDS
• BLUE: PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME
• PURPLE: SILENT ____

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

NYT Connections today (game #1211) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1211, are…

• YELLOW: CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT: BUNCH, HEAP, LOT, STACK
• GREEN: TABLE TENNIS NEEDS: BALL, NET, PADDLE, TABLE
• BLUE: PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME: COLLAR, GAVEL, ROBE, WIG
• PURPLE: SILENT ____: AUCTION, FILM, PARTNER, TREATMENT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

In the UK we call a PADDLE a bat, a cultural difference that slowed me down a little and meant that I began with a group I was more certain about.

The four tiles of PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME seem very odd to me — that one of the most important and respected roles in society involves people wearing a WIG and using something called a GAVEL. Frankly, it’d make just as much sense if you had to wear a wig and GOWN to play table tennis.

The real annoyance of today was missing a very gettable purple group. Kudos, if you spotted it — I got too hung up on thinking AUCTION was a red herring because it matched with LOT and ended up ignoring other possible connections.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, October 3, 2026, game #1210)

• YELLOW: STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET": CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS
• GREEN: ENDING IN MUSICALS: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED
• BLUE: STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS: BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON
• PURPLE: ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX

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 Saturday, October 3 (game #1713)

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, October 2 (game #1712).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1713) — 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 #1713) — 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 #1713) — 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 #1713) — 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 #1713) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• F

• S

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1713) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1713, are…

• CHORE
• FLYER
• STICK
• PURSE

I had one of those games today where every word worked out and I didn’t really have to do much thinking.

Much of that was down to my starter words coming up with lots of letters, but the fact that all I had to do was find four words with very common letter combinations also helped.

Daily Sequence today (game #1713) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1713, are…

• TWICE
• BAKER
• SCRUB
• FRISK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• IVORY
• SADLY
• ANGEL
• LLAMA

• Quordle #1712, Friday, 2 October: IVORY, SADLY, ANGEL, LLAMA
• Quordle #1711, Thursday, 1 October: NAVEL, SHEER, BIRTH, TACKY
• Quordle #1710, Wednesday, 30 September: CHOKE, BATCH, MOSSY, EAGER
• Quordle #1709, Tuesday, 29 September: BILGE, MEDAL, LODGE, PORCH
• Quordle #1708, Monday, 28 September: BRUNT, TORSO, STONE, HEATH
• Quordle #1707, Sunday, 27 September: VALET, CHEST, VIGIL, PUREE
• Quordle #1706, Saturday, 26 September: SNORT, BIBLE, LAPSE, CRANE
• Quordle #1705, Friday, 25 September: SWEAR, FLOOD, GUPPY, GROAN
• Quordle #1704, Thursday, 24 September: TOPIC, METRO, SCALP, FREED
• Quordle #1703, Wednesday, 23 September: SHEET, BLAND, JOIST, GUAVA
• Quordle #1702, Tuesday, 22 September: COMFY, LOBBY, DRESS, PANEL
• Quordle #1701, Monday, 21 September: WAXEN, HIPPO, PETAL, LEASH
• Quordle #1700, Sunday, 20 September: DERBY, LIMBO, GAWKY, REIGN
• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER
• Quordle #1696, Wednesday, 16 September: SPEAR, PRICE, BLUNT, FISHY
• Quordle #1695, Tuesday, 15 September: SHUSH, LITHE, DELTA, BUGLE
• Quordle #1694, Monday, 14 September: ZEBRA, LEGAL, RATIO, TROLL
• Quordle #1693, Sunday, 13 September: LUCID, SPRAY, MANGE, EMAIL

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, October 3 (game #1210)

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 2 (game #1209).

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 #1210) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WHITNEY HOUSTON
• LINDA HAMILTON
• RIVER PHOENIX
• JOHN DENVER
• GETTY IMAGES
• ELBOW GREASE
• CAN OPENER
• SOMETHING
• WICKED
• FAT CATS
• HEAD WAITER
• MERV GRIFFIN
• BROAD BEAN
• NY GIANT
• MET HALFWAY
• W.C. FIELDS
• DIET SPRITE

NYT Connections today (game #1210) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Begin with a trip to the loo
• GREEN: A sing-a-long ending
• BLUE: Know your history for starters
• PURPLE: Hiding mythical beasts

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 #1210) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET"
• GREEN: ENDING IN MUSICALS
• BLUE: STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES

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

NYT Connections today (game #1210) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1210, are…

• YELLOW: STARTING WITH TERMS FOR "TOILET": CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS
• GREEN: ENDING IN MUSICALS: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED
• BLUE: STARTING WITH U.S. MUSEUMS: BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON
• PURPLE: ENDING IN FANTASY CREATURES: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I am always thrown by slightly different Connections tiles and today was no different with its baffling selection of two-word options.

Things got more confusing, for me at least, after a potential North American cities thread of WHITNEY HOUSTON, LINDA HAMILTON, RIVER PHOENIX, and JOHN DENVER turned out to be a dead end. I wasn’t certain about Hamilton, but there is a city called that in Ohio.

The WC in WC FIELDS was the tile that unlocked the game for me and from here I cobbled my way through, although when it came to the final eight tiles it was more by luck than judgement that I didn’t make another mistake. A tough one.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, October 2, 2026, game #1209)

• YELLOW: FINANCE: BACK, BANKROLL, FUND, SUPPORT
• GREEN: FINGERS: INDEX, LITTLE, MIDDLE, RING
• BLUE: CUSTOMARY: COMMON, ROUTINE, STANDARD, STOCK
• PURPLE: PRIME_____: NUMBER, REAL ESTATE, RIB, TIME

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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Cops have breached one of iOS’s most secure features, report claims

• Police may be able to bypass one of iOS’s strongest security features
• The revelation is from a leaked video from the GrayKey device’s creator
• It has worrying ramifications for your data privacy

A company that works with law enforcement says it has bypassed a key iOS security feature that protects your sensitive information from being extracted from your iPhone without your permission. But it could be a step backward for user privacy and the security of your personal data.

According to a report from 404 Media, Magnet Forensics — the company behind the GrayKey device police use to crack open iPhones — has developed a new workaround that lets anyone with a GrayKey sidestep Apple’s Inactivity Reboot feature, plus a whole lot more. And it’s been using this exploit since at least early 2025, when a video seen by 404 Media was dated.

Inactivity Reboot is an iOS feature that automatically restarts your iPhone if it hasn’t been unlocked in 72 hours. This puts it into a more secure state called Before First Unlock (BFU), which protects certain sensitive data with encryption keys that aren't released until you enter your device passcode. After you’ve logged in, your iPhone enters a less secure state called After First Unlock (AFU).

In a video uncovered by 404 Media, Magnet Forensics claims that it can now freeze the iPhone in AFU mode using a new device called GrayKey Preserve, and that AFU mode is apparently maintained even if your iPhone restarts. That frozen state gives GrayKey easier access to the device’s data because it is not as strongly encrypted as in BFU mode.

In addition, GrayKey Preserve — and an associated mode for the regular GrayKey called Evidence Preservation Mode — can recover materials that iOS automatically purges after a certain period, including location data, iMessages, and deleted images. “We’re gonna be able to preserve that data for an infinite amount of time,” says a Magnet employee in the leaked video.

The video did not reveal Magnet Forensics’ technical solution in detail, but an employee hinted that enabling Airplane Mode and blocking radio transmissions (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular) could play a role. And security expert Jiska Classen told 404 Media that the new GrayKey might be manipulating iOS’s built-in clock, “slowing down time” for the cops or even “stopping the clock from ticking” entirely, thereby indefinitely preventing Inactivity Reboot and iOS’s automatic deletion workflows from running.

Apple’s security stance

(Image credit: Shutterstock / nikkimeel)

Apple is well-known for the security of its devices and its strong stance against weakening the protections afforded to its users. While Apple says it complies with legitimate police requests, it has actively worked to thwart tools like GrayKey from accessing iPhone data. It has also pushed back against law enforcement requests to build a backdoor into its operating systems that police can use.

Why would Apple seek to frustrate law enforcement agencies like this? Well, part of the justification Apple has given is that there’s no such thing as a backdoor that only works for the good guys. Any software flaw can be exploited by hackers, stalkers, identity thieves, and all manner of other bad actors. Given the highly private data — including credit card details, medical records, and personal photos — on billions of iPhones worldwide, that’s a serious risk Apple isn’t willing to take.

As well as that, tools like GrayKey are known to be used by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states around the world to suppress free speech and harass critics. Apple has taken its fair share of criticism for making concessions to repressive governments in countries like China and Russia, but building an iOS backdoor for them is apparently a step too far for John Ternus’s company.

In the past, Apple has worked quickly to patch exploits used by Magnet Forensics and its competitors, and there’s no doubt that 404 Media’s report will have rung alarm bells in Cupertino and prompted furious work on a fix. But the fact that this vulnerability has been actively exploited since at least early 2025 will be disturbing news for people both inside and outside Apple.

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 2 (game #1209)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, October 1 (game #1208).

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 #1209) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LITTLE
• REAL ESTATE
• COMMON
• RING
• INDEX
• FUND
• BANKROLL
• RIB
• STANDARD
• MIDDLE
• STOCK
• SUPPORT
• BACK
• NUMBER
• ROUTINE
• TIMER

NYT Connections today (game #1209) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Put some money behind it
• GREEN: Digits
• BLUE: Pretty ordinary
• PURPLE: Begin with a word that rhymes with “rhyme”

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 #1209) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FINANCE
• GREEN: FINGERS
• BLUE: CUSTOMARY
• PURPLE: PRIME_____

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

NYT Connections today (game #1209) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1209, are…

• YELLOW: FINANCE: BACK, BANKROLL, FUND, SUPPORT
• GREEN: FINGERS: INDEX, LITTLE, MIDDLE, RING
• BLUE: CUSTOMARY: COMMON, ROUTINE, STANDARD, STOCK
• PURPLE: PRIME_____: NUMBER, REAL ESTATE, RIB, TIME

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Whenever there is a very easy game of Connections I am always left with regret that I did not slow down and play more tactically.

Unfortunately I cannot help myself and blitz through the groups as I discover them, which today meant getting green first instead of a coveted purple first.

That said, despite the simplicity of this game there was a little red herring that almost caught me out, with STOCK, INDEX and FUND all being about financial trading.

Kudos if you took care and spotted PRIME____.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, October 1, 2026, game #1208)

• YELLOW: PUT: PLACE, POSITION, SITUATE, STICK
• GREEN: DRESS SHIRT MEASUREMENTS: CHEST, NECK, SLEEVE, WAIST
• BLUE: 2000S INDIE ROCK BANDS, WITH "THE": DECEMBERISTS, NATIONAL, SHINS, WALKMEN
• PURPLE: STARTS OF NYT PRINT PUZZLES: ACRO, CROSS, KEN, SUD

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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