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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1619) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1619) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1619) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1619) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1619, are…

• EASEL
• OTTER
• LYRIC
• SHACK

SHACK and LYRIC came easily enough today, but both EASEL and OTTER took me a while to find.

With EASEL, I tried every available letter with A-S-E-L before using the letter E again. Sometimes the simplest solution is the hardest to see.

Daily Sequence today (game #1619) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1619, are…

• SORRY
• EXTOL
• QUEUE
• BUTTE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
• Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY

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

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NATION
• CHILD
• MINT
• DEEM
• CLOUT
• MEET

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #850) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #850, are…

• HINT
• INDICATION
• CLUE
• EVIDENCE
• INTIMATION
• SPANGRAM: TELLTALESIGN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I went around this board at a pace Mrs Marple would be impressed by until I reached the dastardly last word. I just could not see INTIMATION at all and it took me a few minutes before I finally linked the letters in the right order.

Fortunately, the theme was no mystery and thinking about red herrings I found TELLTALESIGN before any game or non-game words.

Meanwhile, I had to chuckle when the first word I got was HINT — frequently this is something I need to get going on Wednesday, but not today!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 30, game #849)

• WRITER
• DIRECTOR
• CAST
• PRODUCER
• CREW
• EDITOR
• SPANGRAM: THATSSHOWBIZ

• WhatsApp username reservations are now open for some
• Check inside the app for your reservation invite
• You can link your new handle to Facebook and Instagram

The big WhatsApp username revolution has started — and while usernames won't fully take over until later this year, Meta is letting people reserve their handles starting from now. Open up WhatsApp on your phone, and you'll see an alert above the conversation list inviting you to reserve your name.

Earlier today I got the alert on my phone (maybe because I'm such an enthusiastic WhatsApp user). If you miss tapping the notification before it disappears, you need to head to Settings: On Android, it's the three dots (top right) then Settings; on iOS, tap the You icon (bottom right) to get to the same menu.

From Settings, select Account > Username > Create username to start selecting your WhatsApp handle. It's worth remembering you're up against three billion other users here, so your first choice might be gone — in which case WhatsApp will ask you to pick something else until you land on something unique.

You may have to deploy some numbers or special characters to get a username that hasn't already been taken — the same tricks you may well have used to get your handles on other platforms (for example, using underscores and periods). There's also a Suggest username option here you can use if you're stuck, and WhatsApp will come up with a few ideas for you.

You can also link an existing username from Instagram or Facebook, which is helpful if you've got a small business or side hustle set up on those platforms and want to be consistent in every app. Just follow the Use Instagram username or Use Facebook username links when you see them.

What you need to know

There are a few things to bear in mind when reserving your username. Firstly, this won't hide your phone number from people who already have it on WhatsApp — it only applies to new contacts you add after the username feature goes live, and it seems as though that won't happen for a few months yet.

Second, if you think that someone might guess or otherwise stumble across your username, you can add an extra layer of protection. From Account > Username, tap Contact me by username and you can generate a key code — a prospective new contact will then need to be told both this key and your username in order to connect with you.

If you have a change of heart (or identity) then you can still change your username before the feature goes live: open up Account > Username then tap Edit to pick something different. At the moment, it's not clear how username changes will be handled once the feature goes live later this year.

Fourth, you'll be wasting your time if you try and reserve something like @zendaya or @edsheeran. WhatsApp says it's fenced off usernames that relate to celebrities, politicians, and other VIPs, so you're not going to be able to use this as an opportunity to impersonate someone famous.

Finally, if you do register the same handle as you've got on Facebook or Instagram, Meta will ask you to connect your accounts. That makes them a little easier to manage together, but it also gives Meta more information about you, your devices, and your activities — which may be used for targeted ads in the future.

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

NYT Strands today (game #849) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SHOWER
• CORD
• DROP
• WASTE
• PASTOR
• CRIED

NYT Strands today (game #849) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #849) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #849) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #849, are…

• WRITER
• DIRECTOR
• CAST
• PRODUCER
• CREW
• EDITOR
• SPANGRAM: THATSSHOWBIZ

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

There was no mystery about today’s search, although I was expecting to find Lights and Camera in the game somewhere.

Instead, the game ended up being a broader take, with THATSSHOWBIZ covering both stage and screen (both small and large) and the various roles that make up a production.

We could have added “audience” I suppose, as without that there is little point — although I know from a relation who works in a movie theater that even if no one turns up they still play the film the same as if it was a full house, as they are all set by a program at the start of each day.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, June 29, game #848)

• CLEFT
• REST
• NOTE
• BRACKET
• MEASURE
• ACCIDENTAL
• SPANGRAM: MUSICALSTAFF

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1618) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1618) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1618) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1618) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1618) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1618) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1618, are…

• HALVE
• DRYER
• THERE
• MINTY

I played this game without my glasses, which added a new dimension of difficulty.

The first error this caused was my using the word “ducky” instead of my starter word “duchy” and the second was missing the letter H and wasting a guess before getting HALVE.

Somehow, I managed to keep my winning streak going.

Daily Sequence today (game #1618) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1618, are…

• VIVID
• CYCLE
• CHUNK
• PLATE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL

• WhatsApp is rolling out the option of reserving unique usernames
• Username reservations are coming to users worldwide from this week
• They're designed to make communicating through WhatsApp "even more private"

WhatsApp has become one of the world's most popular messaging apps, but not everyone is comfortable with handing out their phone number to a stranger to start a chat. Fortunately, Meta is rolling out a new feature to help change that.

Today (June 29), Meta announced the arrival of WhatsApp usernames, which the company says will be rolling out to over three billion users. From this week, you’ll be able to reserve a username that you can then use when the tool rolls out fully over the coming months.

Since there are a lot of users on WhatsApp, Meta is opening up reservations in advance so you can claim one that’s unique to you before it’s taken by someone else. Meta is also making it easier for organizations and small businesses to claim theirs, and owners will have the option to claim their existing Facebook and Instagram username for their WhatsApp account.

Adding new contacts to WhatsApp is fairly straightforward already — all you have to do is simply enter their number and a pop-up saying ‘this person is using WhatsApp’ will appear. But the addition of usernames paves a way for an even more convenient and private way of adding new contacts — aligning with how other social media platforms work.

Meta added that “usernames are [our] latest step to make WhatsApp even more private” in its announcement. For one, Meta says that there’s no search function that allows you to find anyone via username like you can on Instagram — there’s no directory for browsing, or suggestions and results.

If someone wants to add you as a contact, they’ll need to know your exact username if you want to add you. Additionally, Meta has also integrated an optional four-digit key which you can enable, which others will need to enter if they want to add you.

How to reserve your username

The first step is to make sure your WhatsApp app is updated. Then, once username reservations have been rolled out in your region, head to Settings > Account > Username.

Meta says it'll alert you in the WhatsApp app when usernames are available in your country. It added that "we'll be rolling out usernames gradually over the coming months", so you may need to be patient to see the option.

Usernames have been in the works for WhatsApp for a while. Username reservations were first spotted back in October 2025, and in April users spotted a tool in the service’s beta that allowed them to create their own username, but was only available to a very limited number of users.

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1617) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1617) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1617) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1617) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1617) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1617) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1617, are…

• SLURP
• CRACK
• CRANK
• PHONY

After a spell of very difficult games it feels as if we are being given an easy ride.

This is the first time in ages I can remember two words as similar as CRACK and CRANK.

After my bad run I am not complaining.

Daily Sequence today (game #1617) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1617, are…

• DANCE
• SPELT
• SPEAR
• GREET

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE

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

NYT Strands today (game #848) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CRAB
• TRAM
• BALD
• FELON
• ARABIC
• CRANK

NYT Strands today (game #848) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #848) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #848) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #848, are…

• CLEFT
• REST
• NOTE
• BRACKET
• MEASURE
• ACCIDENTAL
• SPANGRAM: MUSICALSTAFF

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

The theme was initially confusing — were we searching for composers like Mozart? — and even spotting the spangram MUSICSTAFF didn’t make any difference.

Musical staff? Is that a posh way to describe an orchestra? 

However, after a hint, I realized we were searching for words associated with the composer’s craft of writing music.

That said, ACCIDENTAL was a new one for me, as I did not know this was a musical term and it took me ages to connect — it is a symbol placed immediately before a note that alters its pitch, temporarily raising or lowering it.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 28, game #847)

• PARADE
• RAINBOW
• DRAG
• RALLY
• FLAGS
• CELEBRATION
• SPANGRAM: PRIDEMONTH

Over the years, there's been one iPhone app that keeps drawing me back. It’s called GarageBand, and since its iOS release in 2011, it has consistently managed to keep its claws stuck into me. There’s something about being able to generate good-sounding music with just a few loops that keeps me dreaming of being a music creator!

But, as good as GarageBand is, it’s not the only kid on the block, and I’ve recently been wondering what the alternatives are. There’s Splash, WalkBand, and FL Studio Mobile, to name only a few, but I’ve recently landed on BandLab as my favorite GarageBand alternative.

BandLab is a free music-making app and one of the quickest ways to turn ideas into release-ready tracks. It’s feature-rich, comprehensive, and easy-to-use, all with a nifty (albeit ad-heavy) interface, and it's simple and intuitive to use.

The BandLab app has enough depth to deliver professional results while also being playful enough to have that GarageBand experimental feel. And as you’d imagine, there are a host of AI music generation tools to get your teeth stuck into as well. This is 2026 after all!

Creating music is a breeze

The first step involves creating music. This can be done by uploading an audio file or adding a track. I started from scratch and laid down a drum beat, which I subsequently edited. Creation and editing tools are fast, intuitive, and easy to find, so even though I was new to BandLab, I was able to find my way around without any problem at all.

From there, I entered Studio mode and started laying down multiple tracks, including voice, drum, bass, and guitar. Each instrument comes with its own interface, but with enough consistency between them to not overcomplicate navigation.

Without any formal training, I was able to add effects, crop clips, and perform auto-pitching. With over 300 sound presets, premade drum kits, and 100K+ loop and layer sounds, I effortlessly created a professional-sounding mix.

If at any time I needed to change the settings of my project, I could do so using the Project Settings tab. It's possible to change the tempo, time signature, and project key. Underneath these, there are the app's studio settings, such as changing the input device, which is your phone by default, or whether or not you want a count-in not.

From there, the library of projects becomes your friend. With it, you can manage albums, bands, playlists, and more. It’s also the easiest way to duplicate tracks for creating multiple edits of the same song.

Collaborate and share

One of the best collaboration tools centers around creating music as a band rather than individually. Any project you’ve already created can be assigned to a band, or if you create a new project, then it can be done at the point of creation. Either way, sharing your project lets other band members contribute to the creation process.

With your music created, it’s time to share it. With BandLab, publishing, sharing, and social media tools are built into the very heart of the app experience. Through it, you can easily connect and collaborate with like-minded creators on the BandLab social music platform.

BandLab is much bigger than just your world of music. The Home tab provides access to a vibrant feed of music and videos from other artists. This helped me discover new artists as well as genres of music that I never considered exploring.

Go big with BandLab Premium

Getting a BandLab membership unlocks exclusive creation features with AI tools. One premium feature that is well worth the monthly cost is AutoMix, which instantly adjusts a track’s volume and panning for a clean, polished mix. All you have to do is pick a genre, and you get a balanced, polished mix in seconds.

BandLab Pro is available for $180 / £149 per year, or if you want the complete unlocked experience, then you’ll need a BandLab Max membership, which costs $360 / £199 per year.

Download BandLab and get creating on iOS and Android.

Apps are the lifeblood of smartphones, and with so many to choose from, we inevitably each have our favorites. As such, the apps I'm about to suggest might not be essential for everyone, but they are for me — and you never know, you might just fall in love with them too.

These are five of the iPhone apps I use most throughout my day, so they essentially define how I use my phone. For the most part, they’re also apps that I actively enjoy spending time in.

So, if they sound interesting to you, then they’re worth a download — especially as they all have free versions.

1. StoryGraph

For a long time, Goodreads was my go-to app for logging what I’m reading, making lists of what I want to read, and finding new books, but recently I’ve largely switched over to StoryGraph.

It's a very similar concept to Goodreads but with an arguably more attractive, modern interface, and without the baggage of it being owned by Amazon — a brand I’m trying to interact with less.

But on top of that, StoryGraph also has far more stats and book details built into it, showing you things like the pace of a book, how plot-driven it is, whether it has strong character development, and more, all based on what readers have said.

You can also see how many books and pages you’ve read, how many books of each genre, what moods your books most commonly feature, how your reading has changed over time, and more. So, if you like stats, there’s a lot to dig into here.

Some features are hidden behind a StoryGraph Plus subscription, but the majority of the app is available for free.

2. Letterboxd

Unlike StoryGraph, Letterboxd is something I’ve been using for a very long time, and it’s a similar idea but for movies — so just as StoryGraph is an alternative to the bigger name Goodreads, Letterboxd is an alternative to IMDb.

But it’s more social and community-driven than IMDb, with user reviews very much being front and center of the Letterboxd experience. And as with StoryGraph, there is a wealth of stats available (though some of these are hidden behind a paywall).

You can see how many films you’ve watched, how many hours you’ve spent watching, the number of directors and countries you’ve watched films from, your most watched genres, your highest rated films from each decade, your most watched themes, and many, many other things.

Plus, of course, you can make lists, view lists created by other users, add films to your watchlist, and even rent movies — including sometimes films that aren’t available anywhere else.

3. Pocket Casts

Podcasts are the soundtrack to much of my day, and Pocket Casts is my player of choice. I won’t pretend this is the only great podcast app, but if you’re unhappy with your current player, then it’s well worth giving this one a try.

Pocket Casts has been around for a long time, and it’s gradually gotten better and better, to the point where now, I can’t think of much that could improve it.

It has an attractive interface with good discovery tools, the option to sort podcasts into folders, both dark and light themes, playlist support, the option to change the speed, boost the volume, and trim the silence, a sleep timer, videos (where available), and more.

Plus, Pocket Casts works not just on iPhone but also on Android, Apple Watch, Mac, Windows, the web, and Sonos; it also supports CarPlay, Chromecast, and AirPlay, so you can listen to your podcasts just about anywhere.

4. Proton VPN

VPNs have always been advisable from a privacy perspective, but never more so than now, when countries like the UK are increasingly requiring you to hand over identification to access large parts of the internet — often outsourcing the data collection to companies that may or may not be responsible with it.

So, VPNs are one way to avoid that risk, but they also have other benefits beyond security and general privacy, such as letting you access streaming platforms that might either not operate in your region or have a different selection of content elsewhere.

As for why I’m recommending Proton VPN in particular, I’m a big fan of Proton in general and also use some of their other services. They take privacy more seriously than some VPN companies, and their VPN has over 17,000 servers in over 120 countries, so it’s a good, reliable service, and I don’t notice significant speed drops when connected to Proton VPN either.

That said, there are plenty of other great VPN providers to consider (check out our best VPNs guide for our full list of recommendations), so while I stand by Proton VPN, my suggestion is more just to make use of VPNs in general.

5. Google Photos

Yes, Apple has its own Photos app built into iPhones, and it’s not bad. But for me, Google Photos is the superior option.

Part of that is because it works across various operating systems, so if I ever switch back to Android, I’ll still have ready access to all my photos. But even if you’re a lifelong Apple user, there are still advantages to Google Photos.

While both apps have a decent search function for finding photos through keywords, Google Photos does this best in my experience, and it comes with far more free cloud storage. So, if you want to back up a lot of photos, then Google’s offering is the clear winner there.

Ultimately, I find myself using both apps, but it’s Google Photos that I’m more passionate about — and that I’ll take with me to non-Apple devices.

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1616) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1616) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1616) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1616, are…

• RUPEE
• TOPAZ
• FULLY
• BEING

I’m classing today as a return to form, as it’s the first time in a while where my hunches have paid off.

My wild guess was TOPAZ, but having decided that the word had to begin T-O the other options “total” and “today” were ruled out, so I took the leap.

Daily Sequence today (game #1616) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1616, are…

• DEBUT
• AGING
• WHOSE
• VIOLA

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER

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

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MADE
• DOGS
• BRAT
• PRONE
• MINDER
• WIDEN

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #847) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #847, are…

• PARADE
• RAINBOW
• DRAG
• RALLY
• FLAGS
• CELEBRATION
• SPANGRAM: PRIDEMONTH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

March in June initially threw me, as I was thinking of the month of March, then I realized that the March in question must be a parade and, of course June has become synonymous with Pride, so PRIDEMONTH and PARADE appeared as if by magic.

I got RAINBOW next, a little tricky as it involved reading backwards, before slowly making my way around the board.

Pride marches began in 1970 to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York, but it was another 20 years before Bill Clinton declared June “gay and lesbian month”. 36 years on, it feels more important than ever.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 27, game #846)

• PENTHOUSE
• STUDIO
• LOFT
• FLAT
• CONDO
• EFFICIENCY
• SPANGRAM: APARTMENTS

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1615) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1615) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1615) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1615, are…

• PRINT
• MARRY
• SADLY
• BICEP

An easier game for me today and my third consecutive win after a bad run.

I guessed MARRY yesterday and it was wrong but today I felt more confident with it thanks to the position of the letter A.

Daily Sequence today (game #1615) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1615, are…

• FROCK
• PAUSE
• WALTZ
• COUCH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG

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

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TRACE
• FATAL
• DICE
• STONE
• TENT
• CONFUSE

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #846) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #846, are…

• PENTHOUSE
• STUDIO
• LOFT
• FLAT
• CONDO
• EFFICIENCY
• SPANGRAM: APARTMENTS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I was able to breeze around this board after spotting PENTHOUSE almost immediately — this isn’t strictly true, I spotted “house” first then saw the “pent” attached to it.

This game also featured some nice non-game words including an alternative form of accommodation for people who cannot afford APARTMENTS.

The only place I struggled was with EFFICIENCY — a term I wasn’t familiar with, as this type of small one-person apartment is called a “bedsit” in the UK, as featured in the superb 1981 synth pop hit Bedsitter by Soft Cell, which superbly sums up the single life of Bedsit Land.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 26, game #845)

• PASS
• HORNS
• THREE
• BROTHERS
• TROLL
• BRIDGE
• SPANGRAM: BILLYGOATSGRUFF

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

NYT Strands today (game #845) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEER
• HEAP
• GYRO
• GOAT
• ROAST
• PRIDE

NYT Strands today (game #845) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #845) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #845) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #845, are…

• PASS
• HORNS
• THREE
• BROTHERS
• TROLL
• BRIDGE
• SPANGRAM: BILLYGOATSGRUFF

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Today I had to resist the temptation to go in search of things I might “gobble” up, like pizza, peanuts or chocolate (this was after spotting “beer” and “gyro”).

I tried to recall the children’s story that featured the phrase “I’ll gobble you up!” but completely failed due to the fact that virtually all of them do.

It is of course BILLYGOATSGRUFF, as I discovered after two hints gave me PASS and HORNS; a typically horrific tale where the phrase “I’ll gobble you up” is followed by “and put your bones in a sack!” Sleep well, kids!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, June 25, game #844)

• FACIAL
• AROMATHERAPY
• ACUPUNCTURE
• MASSAGE
• SPANGRAM: SPATREATMENT

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1614) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1614) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1614) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1614) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1614) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1614) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1614, are…

• JUICE
• ARRAY
• BONEY
• SKIFF

Is Quordle getting harder? It certainly feels like it has in the past couple of weeks.

Today was another tricky game, with the appearance of the rarest of letters, J, five vowels and a very difficult to get word in SKIFF.

Daily Sequence today (game #1614) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1614, are…

• MOODY
• VIRAL
• TOKEN
• DIARY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1613) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1613) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1613) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1613) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1613) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1613) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1613, are…

• SHELF
• TAWNY
• HYPER
• SOLVE

My AI-provided starter words covered a lot of probabilities, but I am not sure if I’ll stick with them.

Despite the help — and two words beginning with the same letter — both TAWNY and HYPER took me a while to find and commit to. Success, then, but slow.

Daily Sequence today (game #1613) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1613, are…

• DRIED
• BUDGE
• NICHE
• CRESS

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN

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

NYT Strands today (game #844) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SPACIAL
• HEART
• TRUE
• PAGE
• MATES
• GAPPY

NYT Strands today (game #844) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #844) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #844) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #844, are…

• FACIAL
• AROMATHERAPY
• ACUPUNCTURE
• MASSAGE
• SPANGRAM: SPATREATMENT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Yesterday we were chilling, today we’re relaxing. I wonder if someone at Strands Towers wants a break?

Fortunately, after congratulating myself for getting “spacial” as a non-game word I realized that FACIAL was hiding in plain sight and that our search was all about words connected to SPATREATMENT.

When I was training for the London Marathon about a decade ago I was in a permanent state of pain and would get massages from someone whose technique veered closer to the brutal than the relaxing – in fact, many of his clients called him “the massage terrorist”.

To be honest, it put me off any kind of treatment, but the knots I tied myself in trying to unravel today’s search had me daydreaming of some rejuvenating therapy.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 24, game #843)

• BEER
• SELTZER
• KOMBUCHA
• JUICE
• WATER
• SODA
• SPANGRAM: BEVERAGECOOLERS

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

NYT Strands today (game #843) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STEEL
• MOVE
• ZERO
• MUCH
• TEAR
• BARD

NYT Strands today (game #843) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #843) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #843) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #843, are…

• BEER
• SELTZER
• KOMBUCHA
• JUICE
• WATER
• SODA
• SPANGRAM: BEVERAGECOOLERS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The weather is scorching hot in the UK, so my mind automatically went to words connected with staying cool. 

However, I realized after spotting BEER that we were instead looking for cooling beverages — or BEVERAGECOOLERS according to the lengthy spangram.

My cooling beverage of choice — iced tea — didn’t make the cut, but as a second best I’d go with a KOMBUCHA, which is a bit of an upgrade on a regular tea drink but part of the same family, like a distant fancy auntie.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 23, game #842)

• FOOD
• BLOCK
• ARMOR
• BUILDING
• PORTAL
• STORAGE
• TOOL
• SPANGRAM: MINECRAFT

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1612) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1612) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1612) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1612) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1612) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1612) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1612, are…

• SOBER
• ECLAT
• GOOSE
• NINNY

After a year-long win streak I’ve been having a really rough time of Quordle recently and lost again today — another case of having too many options and picking the wrong words.

I think after a successful run I might have to change my start words again. I’ll consult Claude and see what it suggests, seeing as it knows everything!

Daily Sequence today (game #1612) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1612, are…

• CRIER
• SCUBA
• PLAIN
• HUTCH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1611) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1611) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1611) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1611) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1611) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1611) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1611, are…

• ARDOR
• DADDY
• SERVE
• SHEAR

This game could not have been easier, with just three vowels and two words beginning with the same letter, but I still came close to making it three losses in a row.

I should have solved DADDY earlier, but I lacked confidence and went with “madly” instead.

A messy game, but I’m relieved to be back on track.

Daily Sequence today (game #1611) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1611, are…

• SMOKY
• ROBOT
• SLEEK
• CLIFF

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY

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

NYT Strands today (game #842) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• FOOT
• LOCKER
• TABLE
• GEAR
• ROAR
• BRAT

NYT Strands today (game #842) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #842) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #842) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #842, are…

• FOOD
• BLOCK
• ARMOR
• BUILDING
• PORTAL
• STORAGE
• TOOL
• SPANGRAM: MINECRAFT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Typically, Aladdin and the version of A Whole New World performed by the late, great Peabo Bryson dominated my first thoughts when tackling today’s puzzle.

However, instead of a “a magic carpet ride” our search was focused on the created worlds of MINECRAFT, something I learned after spotting the spangram immediately.

From here it was a case of trying to remember all of the terminology connected with the game, nearly all of which I’ve forgotten after a brief interest courtesy of two obsessed-with-Minecraft nephews; FOOD was my first spot, of course.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, June 22, game #841)

• CREEPS
• JITTERS
• SHIVERS
• WILLIES
• BUTTERFLIES
• SPANGRAM: GOOSEBUMPS

• The country of Georgia has finally arrived on Google Street View
• Google has highlighted several major sights worth seeing
• The imagery is available in Google Maps and Google Earth

Street View is still expanding, almost 20 years after Google first launched it, and the East European country of Georgia is the latest to be added to the platform — with some spectacular sites and landmarks included, besides all the roads and highways.

"Georgia is a country defined by the scale of its history and the dramatic diversity of its landscapes," says Google, who worked with the Georgian government to get the country on the Street View map.

Some 13,000 kilometers (8,078 miles) of roads have been added, and can be found in Google Maps and Google Earth. You can check out the Jvari Monastery (part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site), the medieval stone towers of Ushguli, and the Bridge of Peace that crosses the Kura River in the capital Tbilisi.

There's also Telavi in the Kakheti region, the center of a wine-making tradition in Georgia that goes back 8,000 years. Grapes from these vineyards are still fermented in traditional clay jars called qvevri, which are buried underground.

Another GeoGuessr level

Another sight worth seeing: the Jvari Pass, high up in the mountains, part of the Greater Caucasus range. Spend a few minutes clicking around on the new Street View images and you'll find plenty of fantastic views.

Of course, you don't have to check out the biggest tourist spots or the most well-known roads. In Google Maps on the web, just drag the little yellow pegman (lower right) into the map somewhere — as you hover with your mouse cursor, Street View roads will turn blue, and that now includes Georgia.

As well as checking out potential spots to travel to, the new imagery is also a boon for GeoGuessr players trying to name the country from a Street View picture. One poster calls it a "beautiful country" that's a "great addition".

While many of us will be well used to Street View imagery in our part of the world, it isn't everywhere yet. Countries including Cyprus and Paraguay were only added last year, while it's missing in China and many African and Middle Eastern nations.

• Cloudflare and web browsers to develop new internet protocol
• PACT protocol will help to verify legitimate web access from human and bots
• Users will be given an anonymized "personhood" token to show they have a real reason to access a website

Now that bot traffic on the internet has officially surpassed human HTTP requests, both web browsers and web infrastructure providers agree something needs to be done, especially as AI agents enter the fray.

Today, Cloudflare has announced a joint initiative with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge to launch a new internet protocol designed to verify if web access is legitimate or malicious - without intruding on user privacy.

Private Access Control Tokens (PACT) will act as anonymous tokens that verify legitimate access by both humans and authorized agents without the need for user logins or CAPTCHAs that cause friction and harm the browsing experience.

Cloudflare establishes PACT with web browsers

To start, PACT won’t deny access to automated traffic completely. According to Cloudflare, the protocol is designed to recognize legitimate access from certain bots. As consumers and businesses turn to new automations provided by AI agents, there is still a legitimate case for allowing certain bots to access websites.

For many AI agents, there is still a human at some point in the loop with a real reason for accessing a website. PACT offers an anonymous “personhood” token that is attached to the user’s browser. This token uses “trusted information from contexts that have authentic relationships with people” to verify legitimate access “while keeping that information private.”

StatCounter places the combined market share of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge at around 77%, meaning that the PACT protocol will likely roll out to the majority of internet users.

“PACT will further empower businesses to identify genuine visitors, ensuring they can focus their resources on the traffic that matters to them,” Cloudflare said in the announcement. “Using PACT on Cloudflare’s network raises the bar for trustworthiness and integrity online without the traditional costs.”

“In commerce, every extra challenge, delay, or false positive can turn a purchase into an abandoned cart. Merchants need effective protections against automated abuse, but buyers shouldn’t have to pay for them with unnecessary friction or invasive tracking,” said Ilya Grigorik, Distinguished Engineer at Shopify.

“Shopify is proud to help develop PACT as an open, privacy-preserving standard that can help the millions of businesses on our platform distinguish legitimate shoppers and authorized agents from abusive traffic while preserving buyer privacy."

If you've been having trouble with Reddit and X today, you're far from alone — but Downdetector now suggests that their issues are fixed, or at least close to recovery.

X and Reddit were the biggest hit by what appeared to be cloud infrastructure issues, according to Downdetector — with over 30,000 and 2,700 reports at their peak respectively.

Several other apps and services, from Zoom to Canva and Fortnite, also saw spikes in reports earlier today, but similarly seem to have recovered.

No official cause for the issues was reported or announced, but here's how they played out...

A series of big spikes

Right now, X is seemingly the worst hit by today's issues, with almost 36,000 reports on Downdetector. But Reddit is also seemingly struggling for many in the US, with over 3,000 reports.

This may well be a cloud infrastructure outage or issue, because we're seeing more minor spikes across a range of services, from Zoom to Fortnite and Canva. Is this related to a service Cloudflare or AWS? It isn't clear yet, but we'll find out soon.

Is this cloud related?

Given how many services are showing spikes in reported problems right now, there's a good chance this is all related to cloud infrastructure issues.

We're currently seeing smaller spikes on Downdetector for Cloudflare and AWS, though there's no official confirmation that either are having major issues.

However, Cloudflare is now experiencing "increased error rates" as of 10.20am ET / 3.20pm BST, so that could be a potential cause given the likes of X and Reddit are known to use it for their cloud-based content delivery.

X is still struggling for many

X appears to be on the mend, but it definitely isn't its usual self. We're currently able to see the Trends section, but have no feed.

Reddit seems to be faring better, with reports on Downdetector now down to around 365 in the US (down from just over 3,000 half an hour ago).

Those are promising signs, but hopefully they aren't a false dawn — and a number of other services like Zoom and Fortnite continue to show a significant number of reported problems.

William Shatner captures the mood

When in doubt, turn to William Shatner — the actor has captured what many have been experiencing with a post on X showing the "posts aren't loading right now" error message.

But how did he post his reaction when X is down? Well, the site is seemingly recovering from its wobble, with reports now down below 10,000 in the US, so I'm feeling confident that normal Shatner service will resume soon.

A return to normality...

Good news, it looks like the issues that hit X, Reddit, Zoom and more today were just a minor blip — and this isn't going to be a repeat of a major outage like the big Cloudflare incident of November 2025.

We don't know for certain if the large spike in reported issues today was Cloudflare-related, but the cloud infrastructure giant did confirm it was investigating a problem earlier — and now says "a fix is being implemented".

That fix seems to be doing the trick for many services, according Downdetector — but I'll continue to keep an eye on them, just in case.

Cloudflare says it isn't to blame

Cloudflare has told us it isn't at fault for today's issues on X, Reddit, Zoom and more.

"We don’t see any Cloudflare global outage currently. The only issue we’re aware of is that Zayo, a network provider, is experiencing an outage on some of its network routes," a spokesperson told us.

"That may cause some sites using Zayo exclusively to be unreachable, whether they use Cloudflare or not. We are seeing evidence Zayo’s network is recovering and expect any errors to be short lived," they added.

The mystery continues, then, but fortunately all of the reports on Downdetector for those sites are back down to baseline levels, so everything appears to be back to normal.

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1610) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1610) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1610) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1610) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1610) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1610) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1610, are…

• WAXEN
• APNEA
• CHIME
• WAVER

I am seriously out of form with two defeats in a row.

To be fair to myself, WAXEN is not the easiest of words to get — especially with one guess left. Kudos if you got it.

Daily Sequence today (game #1610) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1610, are…

• ANGEL
• VOMIT
• STOOL
• ANGER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY

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

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BUST
• SOOT
• BEST
• LETTERS
• SHIRE
• CHIVE

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #841) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #841) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #841, are…

• CREEPS
• JITTERS
• SHIVERS
• WILLIES
• BUTTERFLIES
• SPANGRAM: GOOSEBUMPS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I am not very good at watching horror movies as I am so easily spooked. It’s led to a few embarrassing moments of me falling off chairs during jump scares — even the false jump scare that’s intended to lull you into a false sense of security has me on the verge of trauma.

Perhaps if I’d have read the GOOSEBUMPS series of books when I was a kid I would be better acclimatized to shocks and gore.

Anyway, I digress. That spangram really opened up today's game and fortunately I spotted it early after getting CREEPS. The only word I struggled with was BUTTERFLIES, which doesn’t quite fit with the others.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 21, game #840)

• SAFE
• INTERNET
• FRIDGE
• BREAKFAST
• LAUNDRY
• SPANGRAM: HOTELAMENITIES

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1609) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1609) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1609) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1609) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1609) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1609) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1609, are…

• ABBOT
• NOTCH
• DREAD
• LURID

I lost this game, but my minor victory was that I at least got three words right with ABBOT on my final guess of the game.

My downfall was too many options for what became DREAD.

Hope your experience wasn’t as lousy as mine.

Daily Sequence today (game #1609) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1609, are…

• YOUNG
• HUMAN
• SHIFT
• LOAMY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY

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

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HATS
• FATE
• FREE
• FIND
• DRIFT
• THAT

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #840) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #840) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #840, are…

• SAFE
• INTERNET
• FRIDGE
• BREAKFAST
• LAUNDRY
• SPANGRAM: HOTELAMENITIES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“That’s included!” That must mean batteries, surely? After all, not having batteries included in something you’ve just purchased is really annoying and a consumer crisis that needs highlighting.

Instead, after getting SAFE and INTERNET, I decided it was things (or HOTEL AMENITIES, as the spangram puts it) included in your hotel bill — or more often not included in your hotel bill unless you’d like to pay extra.

The most terrifying “free thing” in a hotel room is, of course, the mini bar — an amenity that can lead to financial ruin and that is definitely never “included”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 20, game #839)

• CHANT
• MARQUEE
• RAFTERS
• BLEACHERS
• COURTSIDE
• SPANGRAM: GARDENPARTY

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1608) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1608) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1608) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1608) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1608) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1608) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1608, are…

• SLAIN
• TAMER
• VIPER
• FALSE

My short-lived win streak is over already as I struggled with both E-R words.

With one guess left I had three possibilities — “taxer”, “taker” or TAMER. I picked what I thought was the most likely and failed. Oh well, onwards and upwards.

Daily Sequence today (game #1608) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1608, are…

• SPEED
• BLIMP
• MOLDY
• REVEL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL

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

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• GRADE
• MASTER
• FATE
• SAME
• HEART
• TRACE
• DOUR

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #839) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #839) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #839, are…

• CHANT
• MARQUEE
• RAFTERS
• BLEACHERS
• COURTSIDE
• SPANGRAM: GARDENPARTY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

“Knicks knack”? Surely this game has to be about the magnificent New York Knicks, right? 

For players outside of the US this immediately made this a more difficult game than usual as, although the NBA and the post-victory after party made news around the world, the words associated with it are less ingrained in our consciousness. Having said that, if Jerry Seinfeld is happy then I’m happy, so I’m not complaining.

Fortunately a plethora of non-game words helped me get home with the use of two hints and some guesswork.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 19, game #838)

• BOOTS
• CHAPS
• SPURS
• SADDLE
• JEANS
• BANDANA
• STETSON
• SPANGRAM: COWPOKES

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1607) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1607) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1607) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1607) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1607) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1607) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1607, are…

• ALOUD
• POINT
• GLOBE
• GROIN

Sometimes when you enter a word you are so certain it’s right and so convinced that there are no other possibilities that it’s a shock when it turns out wrong.

I experienced this today after guessing “glove”, wondering to myself how I was blind to GLOBE.

Daily Sequence today (game #1607) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1607, are…

• WHELP
• GLOAT
• POESY
• PERIL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO

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

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BANANA
• TEASE
• SPOKES
• BAND
• STONE
• SOUP

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #838) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #838) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #838, are…

• BOOTS
• CHAPS
• SPURS
• SADDLE
• JEANS
• BANDANA
• STETSON
• SPANGRAM: COWPOKES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A game collecting some, but by no means all, of the many accessories connected to the hired hands of cattle ranching.

The clothing worn by COWPOKES has had an unusually significant and enduring impact on western fashion tastes. It’s quite odd when you think that the sort of pants you’d wear to lasso a bull are the same as you’d wear to put together a spreadsheet or serve a cappuccino.

Anyway, I digress. An easy game to close out the week. Only BANDANA slowed me down, but that was just because I wanted to see if I could connect “banana” first.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, June 18, game #837)

• CRAB
• SEAWEED
• SHARK
• FISH
• PLANKTON
• URCHIN
• ALGAE
• SPANGRAM: CORALREEF

If you're having trouble with the Facebook app today, you're far from alone — hundreds of people are reporting that the mobile app is closing down unexpectedly.

According to Downdetector, the problems started at around 6am ET / 11am BST, when large spikes in reports appeared from both the UK and US. Those numbers aren't yet huge — around 1,000 in the US and 500 in the UK at the time of writing — but they are growing rapidly.

There's been no official comment from Meta yet about the issues, but you can follow all the latest news in this live report...

What's wrong with the Facebook app?

Right now, hundreds of people are reporting that the Facebook app isn't working properly — with the most common complaint being that it simply closes when they open it.

We haven't been able to replicate the issues here on TechRadar, but the comments on Downdetector and social media point to similar issues. Some say it simply "keeps closing down when I open it", while other are reporting that that a pop-up box says that there's a known bug.

The reports are growing

Today's reports of issues with the Facebook app are continuing to move in the wrong direction — we're now at 1,175 reports on Downdetector in the US and counting, while the UK isn't far behind with 580 reports.

These issues seem to be specific to the mobile app, with over 80% of reports on Downdetector related to the app rather than the website or login issues. There's still no official comment from Meta, but I'll be expecting one soon if these reports continue to grow.

Is this an Android issue?

So far, it isn't clear what's causing today's Facebook app issues — but it seems to be hitting Android users a bit harder than those on iPhones.

Many of the comments on Downdetector and social media are related to Android devices, with one reporting that Facebook "keeps crashing on Android, but is fine on my iOS device".

The fact that the number of reports is relatively low for a Facebook outage suggests this could be related to problems with one particular app version. But I'm working to get a more official explanation.

The app crashes continue

The most common reported issue by far with the Facebook app today is it keeps closing or crashing upon opening.

Those complaints are increasing on X (like the above) and in the comments section of Downdetector, and the most likely culprit so far seems to be a buggy app update.

It's still not clear whether this is cross-platform or restricted to Android, so vote in our poll above if you're experiencing the same issues.

It's looking like an Android issue

The results of our poll above at the top of this page are pretty telling — 99% of the people who've voted to say they're having problems with the Facebook app are on Android.

According to the Play Store, Facebook's Android app was also updated yesterday on June 17, so that could well be the culprit — although that still isn't official. Still, if the problem is a buggy app update, Meta should be able to push out a fix pretty sharp-ish...

On the mend?

Today's Facebook app issues appear to be improving rapidly — with reports on Downdetector back down to near-baseline levels in the US and UK.

It isn't clear whether Meta has pushed out a fix for the Android app and there's been no official response to the crashing problems that many have experienced, but we're close to calling this one over four hours on from when it started.

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1606) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1606) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1606) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1606) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1606) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1606) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1606, are…

• LATCH
• BRAWL
• STEEL
• CRUSH

A tricky game, with my survival coming down to a fishing expedition.

With lots of options left for a word ending A-T-C-H, I gambled on guessing BRAWL which would eliminate “watch” and LATCH from my enquiries. This time it paid off.

Daily Sequence today (game #1606) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1606, are…

• MEATY
• THINK
• CLACK
• SNAKE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY

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

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLAP
• RULES
• SEEK
• SALE
• SPARE
• CLAG

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #837) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #837) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #837, are…

• CRAB
• SEAWEED
• SHARK
• FISH
• PLANKTON
• URCHIN
• ALGAE
• SPANGRAM: CORALREEF

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I didn’t need any hints in this game, but I did waste a lot of time getting parts of words as non-game words before realizing what we were actually searching for: “chin” before I saw URCHIN, “weed” before SEAWEED and “reef” long before I put together the Spangram.

I spent a few years living by the ocean and would regularly go swimming along the shoreline, but I don’t think I ever thought about what was beneath my feet on the seabed.

However, on TikTok recently I saw some underwater footage of exactly where I used to go swimming and was shocked to see thousands upon thousands of starfish — it was quite a strange sensation thinking they were likely there the whole time.

Anyway, I digress. Due to its marine nature, which as you can no doubt tell sent me off daydreaming, I thoroughly enjoyed this game despite finding it tricky.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 17, game #836)

• BUCKET
• TRACTOR
• SAWHORSE
• PITCHFORK
• WHEELBARROW
• SPANGRAM: FARMING

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

NYT Strands today (game #836) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CRATE
• WORK
• TOTE
• ROCK
• BUCK 
• GREET
• MAIN

NYT Strands today (game #836) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #836) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #836) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #836, are…

• BUCKET
• TRACTOR
• SAWHORSE
• PITCHFORK
• WHEELBARROW
• SPANGRAM: FARMING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I was completely thrown when “horse” and “horses” both came up as non-game words, as I’d assumed that we were looking for the names of animals who might reside “in the barnyard”.

Fortunately, there were dozens of non-game words on the board so I opted to take a couple of hints to ease my bafflement, with BUCKET and TRACTOR confirming that we were looking for barnyard equipment, rather than barnyard animals. 

It took me a while to labor around the board, sighing inwardly as I got SAWHORSE and experiencing some mild childlike pleasure at the circular WHEELBARROW. I hope you had a better time.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 16, game #835)

• WRAP
• SANDWICH
• GYRO
• RAMEN
• SALAD
• SOUP
• TACOS
• SPANGRAM: WHATSFORLUNCH

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1605) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1605) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1605) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1605) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1605) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1605) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1605, are…

• HOIST
• PLUSH
• GROUP
• LEMUR

This was another game where getting the words in the correct sequence helped me get through without any mistakes, as HOIST helped narrow down the possibilities for PLUSH, and PLUSH revealed the letter P in GROUP.

For the final word I did a lot of sounding out with the letter I had left before arriving at LEMUR.

Daily Sequence today (game #1605) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1605, are…

• MUSTY
• PINKY
• DEBAR
• BIRTH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY

If you had problems with DoorDash or Spotify today, you weren't alone — both apps experienced major issues that were later confirmed and resolved.

The problems on both apps appeared to start at around the same time, 9.30am ET / 2.30pm BST. However, there was no confirmed related issue between the two, despite small simultaneous reports of issues on AWS and Cloudflare.

At the peak of the problems, there was a massive 35,000 reports for DoorDash on Downdetector, with users reporting that they were locked out from the app and from making orders. Spotify's issues were slightly more minor, with a peak of 4,800 reports in the US.

You can follow what happened during both outages in this live report...

A huge spike for both

Welcome to this liveblog for the issues thousands are experiencing right now on both Doordash and Spotify.

Right now, it isn't clear what the connection (if any) there is between the two, but we'll be getting to the bottom of it in this liveblog, and bringing you all of the latest official information.

As you can see, the spikes on both Doordash and Spotify on Downdetector are considerable. Let's hope they're both short-lived, unlike the Google Gemini outage we saw last week...

A widespread outage for DoorDash

DoorDash down? Or am I the only one? from r/doordash

This Reddit thread shows that the DoorDash issues are pretty widespread across the US right now, with reports from Tampa to Michigan, and also in Australia too.

It appears to be down for both users and drivers, which is causing widespread worry for those who need their hit of energy drinks and snacks. Most are seeing an error message like "the data couldn't be read because it's missing", and logging out seemingly isn't helping.

Spotify joins the outage party

Today's Spotify issues don't seem to be as widespread as those on DoorDash — the app is working fine for me and many here at TechRadar, but there are thousands of reports on Downdetector and social media platforms like X.

Many are experiencing the classic "something went wrong" message when trying to play tracks that haven't been saved for offline listening, while others are seeing "Spotify can't play this right now" or "That didn't work right" messages.

It's definitely intriguing that both the Spotify and DoorDash issues seemingly started simultaneously, but so far there's been no confirmed cloud connection between the two.

DoorDash confirms a problem

Well, that's a slight relief at least — DoorDash has just officially confirmed that it's experiencing issues, which explains the thousands of reports we're seeing across the US and Australia.

There's no real explanation in the post on X (above) about what's causing the outage, but DoorDash promises it's "working urgently to resolve it".

Lots of questions for DoorDash

This is the problem facing most DoorDash users and drivers right now — they can't log into their accounts, which is leaving many stranded mid-order.

As many have asked in response to the DoorDash post on X, this raises many questions — most urgently, what happens to orders that are already en route? This necessarily a major problem if the Dasher driver already has the address, but that's not the case for everyone.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to cancel the order or request a refund while the app's down, but drivers can call this number for assistance: ​​855-431-0459.

Spotify is "aware of the situation"

Unlike DoorDash, there's been no confirmation of a Spotify outage on X via the SpotifyStatus account on X, although this thread has started on the Spotify forums.

On there, an official moderator says "we're receiving reports where the app is showing different errors (103, something went wrong) mostly on the desktop but other clients seem to be affected as well".

It adds that "the relevant teams are aware of this situation and working on a fix", so that's promising news — and the reports appear to be dropping slightly on Downdetector (above).

Could AWS or Cloudflare be the problem?

There are no official AWS (Amazon Web Services) issues reported today on Amazon's dashboard, so that seemingly isn't the cause of today's problems on both DoorDash and Spotify. Similarly, Cloudflare only has a reported issue with its Workers AI platform.

However, DoorDash and Spotify are known to use AWS for some of their cloud infrastructure — and both AWS and Cloudflare have experienced small spikes on Downdetector today. Still, those may simply be the knock-on effect of today's other outages, so there's still no single official cause for the DoorDash and Spotify problems (or a connection between the two).

Spotify is "all clear now"

Is Spotify fixed? It's looking that way, according to Downdetector — the reports of issues have fallen as quickly as they started just under two hours ago.

And now Spotify has confirmed on X that it should be "all clear now". If you have any more issues, you can check out the Community thread — but according to a few users on there, the problems now seem to be resolved. Phew.

Things are also now looking up for DoorDash too...

No official DoorDash fix — but it's back for many

DoorDash hasn't yet given us an update since its last post on X, where it confirmed an "issue affecting our platform", but Downdetector suggests it's well on the way to being fixed.

The reports have plummeted to just over 4,000, down from their peak of just over 35,000, and many on social media are expressing their relief that the app is working for them again. Let's hope that continues...

DoorDash is officially fixed

Good news for both DoorDash fans and DoorDasher drivers — the app is now officially fixed, according to the company.

DoorDash has added that it's still "working hard to correct any impacted Dashers and orders ASAP". So if you were hit today, stay patient and your frustrations should soon be ironed out.

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1604) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1604) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1604) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1604) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1604) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1604) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1604, are…

• SLAIN
• PLUCK
• PINTO
• SLICE

I usually struggle with five-vowel games, but dusted this one off in no time.

Of course it helped that Quordle was kind to us with the repeated starting letters and a very familiar word, with PINTO making its second appearance in six weeks.

Daily Sequence today (game #1604) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1604, are…

• DENSE
• GNASH
• GRAPE
• DECRY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER

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

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SHAME
• WORLD
• PUNCH
• HAND
• PASTA
• COAST

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #835) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #835) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #835, are…

• WRAP
• SANDWICH
• GYRO
• RAMEN
• SALAD
• SOUP
• TACOS
• SPANGRAM: WHATSFORLUNCH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I thought that all our lunch options were going to be bread-based after finding WRAP, SANDWICH and GYRO first.

Then, after spotting RAMEN I found all the healthier and less bread-heavy choices — although why anyone would choose to have SOUP I will never know.

Of all the words here, only TACOS caused me a bit of doubt; initially, I tapped out “oats”, which would be an even worse choice than SOUP to be honest.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, June 15, game #834)

• QUASH
• CONQUER
• VANQUISH
• SURMOUNT
• OVERCOME
• SPANGRAM: YOUVEGOTTHIS

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

NYT Strands today (game #834) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SQUARE
• CORE
• GNAT
• MORE 
• VOTER
• YOUTH

NYT Strands today (game #834) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #834) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #834) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #834, are…

• QUASH
• CONQUER
• VANQUISH
• SURMOUNT
• OVERCOME
• SPANGRAM: YOUVEGOTTHIS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Despite the fact that today’s game featured three Qs — a fact that would usually make the search easier — I suffered a bad case of word blindness and failed to see QUASH and CONQUER.

Fortunately, they were given to me in the form of hints and after spotting the third Q-word in VANQUISH, the spangram magically appeared like a vision out of the mist.

From here it was an easy climb to the top and although I don’t think my efforts quite qualified for the can do message of today’s theme I was pleased to OVERCOME my struggles.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 14, game #833)

• EARL
• LADY
• LORD
• BARON
• VISCOUNT
• MARQUESS
• DUCHESS
• SPANGRAM: NOBILITY

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1603) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1603) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1603) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1603) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1603, are…

• GAUNT
• SNEAK
• ROUTE
• POKER

I often think about the importance of getting words in the right order.

Today, I was pondering guessing “moper” but instead went for the column above and got  SNEAK correct, the K of which made POKER easy to spot. 

Daily Sequence today (game #1603) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1603, are…

• PRIZE
• CRUDE
• FACET
• GLIDE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1602) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1602) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1602) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1602) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1602) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1602) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1602, are…

• WIMPY
• WISPY
• VIRAL
• NYLON

Despite two very similar words in WIMPY and WISPY I still found this a tricky game.

Getting to NYLON took me the longest. I arrived after thinking “pylon” and then sounding out rhyming words — of which NYLON seemed fare more obvious than “pylon”. The brain works in mysterious ways.

Daily Sequence today (game #1602) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1602, are…

• GUPPY
• SHEER
• CIVIC
• THERE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN

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

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BUNCHES
• SHUN
• VISOR
• BUILD
• ROYAL
• SCORN

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #833) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #833) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #833, are…

• EARL
• LADY
• LORD
• BARON
• VISCOUNT
• MARQUESS
• DUCHESS
• SPANGRAM: NOBILITY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Even though I understood today’s theme I still struggled to find all of the la-de-da titles after exhausting the obvious ones of EARL, LADY and LORD and needed hints to get to the finish line.

NOBILITY has become a strange thing in the United Kingdom; the days when we revered them are long gone. They are less visible in society, but they still exist and enjoy opulent lifestyles on a different planet to most people and have the ability to look down their noses at everyone — no amount of money can buy you access to their club.

The only way to think of the subject of peers is as peculiar comedy characters, which is why I spent most of this game remembering the brilliant Grey Poupon TV adverts from the 1980s and '90s — it even has wine, don't you know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 13, game #832)

• MUSIC
• SONG
• QUEUE
• LYRICS
• LOUDSPEAKER
• MICROPHONE
• SPANGRAM: KARAOKE

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1601) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1601) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1601) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1601) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1601) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1601) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1601, are…

• DEALT
• STEED
• BELIE
• GULLY

I took myself to the brink of losing today, because I spelt STEED incorrectly. 

Usually this is not an issue, but in today’s case STEDE was also a word.

With a guess wasted I got lucky that with the letters I had left; there were only two possible words ending U-L-L-Y: “fully” and GULLY. Thankfully, the D and the B had been eliminated earlier.

Daily Sequence today (game #1601) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1601, are…

• SLOTH
• CLAIM
• TURBO
• PARSE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK

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

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MUSE
• SLOG
• ROPE
• LIMES
• SLIME
• DIME

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #832) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #832, are…

• MUSIC
• SONG
• QUEUE
• LYRICS
• LOUDSPEAKER
• MICROPHONE
• SPANGRAM: KARAOKE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“Track event” — that’s athletics right? Err, nope.

Fortunately the spangram — KARAOKE — was very difficult to miss, so I didn’t have to work looking for shot put, discus and javelin. Instead, our quest was searching for musical words.

I have always avoided KARAOKE, both having to sing — which is a nightmare — and also the horror of people murdering some of the greatest songs of all time. It is quite hard to avoid in TV shows, though; recently I suffered my way through Alfred Molina attempting Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen in the otherwise enjoyable The Boroughs. At least I think it was Thunder Road. It’s the sort of thing that should come with a warning before you start watching.

Anyway, I digress… the game was an easy one, made all the easier by a couple of long game words in MICROPHONE and LOUDSPEAKER.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 12, game #831)

• BODY
• POINT
• HOOK
• TOPIC
• PROBLEM
• CONCLUSION
• SPANGRAM: PARTSOFSPEECH

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

NYT Strands today (game #831) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HOST
• BONE
• ROBE
• HOOD
• SCOPE
• SLIT

NYT Strands today (game #831) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #831) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #831) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #831, are…

• BODY
• POINT
• HOOK
• TOPIC
• PROBLEM
• CONCLUSION
• SPANGRAM: PARTSOFSPEECH

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I love the song Something To Talk About by Badly Drawn Boy so I was humming this to myself as I played today’s Strands. I bet I wasn't the only one.

Meanwhile, I really struggled with today’s game. The first two words I spotted, BODY and POINT, came when I was looking for non-game words and neither helped me push forward, as I couldn't see the connection between them.

It took two hints, HOOK and TOPIC, before I finally got that the theme was about conversing. I am so used to the Strands themes being obtuse that I often miss them when they are obvious. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, June 11, game #830)

• BLUES
• FUSE
• CHOOSE
• BREWS
• SCHMOOZE
• SHOES
• CRUISE
• SPANGRAM: RHYMETIME

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1600) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1600) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1600) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1600, are…

• TENTH
• SHOAL
• JELLY
• UNIFY

Gosh, this was a tricky game and another one where every word took ages to get, although I am pretty pleased that I only made one wrong guess (“belly” instead of JELLY).

I also wasted quite a while because I spelled SHOAL s-h-a-o-l and spent ages trying to think of other words that would fit.

Hope it was easier for you.

Daily Sequence today (game #1600) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1600, are…

• DEMUR
• AGAPE
• BRINK
• HAUTE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1599) - hint #1 - Vowels

* 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 #1599) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1599) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1599) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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 #1599) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1599) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1599, are…

• GAMMA
• SPILL
• SALVE
• RURAL

I had two inspired hunches in this game. The fist was leaning into the S-P-I combination to get SPILL.

The second was that despite knowing just one letter, I landed on GAMMA after deciding that it must end in the letter A — there was luck here, though, as it could have been “mamma’ or “magma”.

Daily Sequence today (game #1599) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1599, are…

• SWASH
• VISOR
• TULLE
• WATER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG
• Quordle #1595, Sunday, 7 June: QUERY, AXION, LILAC, SWORD
• Quordle #1594, Saturday, 6 June: SIEVE, PHONY, GIVER, KNOWN
• Quordle #1593, Friday, 5 June: RECUR, SCOUT, SCOWL, CHORD
• Quordle #1592, Thursday, 4 June: ENSUE, YACHT, CURRY, NASTY
• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN
• Quordle #1580, Saturday, 23 May: JUICY, DREAM, IDYLL, BRAID