Tag: Daily word game

Hurdle Hints & Answers for September 22, 2026
Key Highlights
- Mashable publishes daily Hurdle answers for September 22, 2026, revealing all five words: ANKLE, UPSET, CRACK, MERCY, and ICHOR.
- The final Hurdle answer, ICHOR, draws from Greek mythology meaning “divine blood” or the ethereal fluid flowing in gods’ veins.
- Mashable’s games hub now offers additional puzzle options including Mahjong, Sudoku, and free crosswords for daily players.
Today’s Hurdle Solutions Walkthrough

Mashable has released the complete answer key for the September 22, 2026 edition of Hurdle, the five-round word puzzle game that builds upon the Wordle format. Each round presents a new five-letter word to solve, with the twist that correct answers from previous rounds carry forward as the starting guess for subsequent hurdles. This cascading mechanic means early solutions provide strategic letter intelligence for later stages, though the game cautions that letter frequency highlighting from prior rounds does not necessarily reflect actual letter counts in the final answer.

Round-by-Round Breakdown

The first hurdle asked players to identify a “foot bone,” yielding ANKLE as the solution. Round two pivoted to an emotional state with the clue “Angry,” producing UPSET. The third puzzle used the minimalist hint “A split,” which resolved to CRACK. Round four shifted toward virtue with “Compassion,” leading to MERCY. The final hurdle elevated the difficulty with a mythological reference: “Divine blood,” which unlocked ICHOR — a term from classical Greek literature describing the golden fluid that runs through the veins of immortals rather than mortal blood.

Game Mechanics and Strategic Notes

Hurdle distinguishes itself from single-puzzle dailies through its progressive structure. The answer to each hurdle becomes the automatic first guess for the next, creating a chain where green and yellow letter feedback accumulates across rounds. However, Mashable’s guidance emphasizes a critical nuance: the number of times a letter appears highlighted in previous guesses does not necessarily indicate how many times that letter occurs in the final hurdle. This rule prevents players from over-relying on aggregate letter frequency and maintains the deductive challenge through all five stages.

Why This Matters

The daily publication of Hurdle answers reflects the sustained cultural momentum of word-guessing games since Wordle’s breakout success. Mashable’s integration of puzzle solutions into its broader “Top Stories” newsletter and push-alert ecosystem signals how legacy digital media outlets have adopted casual gaming as a retention and engagement pillar. The September 22 edition also cross-references companion coverage of New York Times Games products — including Wordle, Connections, and the sports-themed Connections variant — illustrating a competitive but interconnected puzzle journalism landscape. For players, the availability of hints and full answers transforms potential frustration into a learning tool, while Mashable’s expanding games hub (Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords) positions the outlet as a multi-puzzle destination rather than a single-game guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the final Hurdle answer for September 22, 2026?

The final Hurdle answer is ICHOR, a term from Greek mythology meaning the divine blood or ethereal fluid that flows in the veins of gods.

How does Hurdle differ from Wordle?

Hurdle consists of five sequential rounds where each correct answer becomes the starting guess for the next round, creating a cascading puzzle chain. Letter highlighting from previous rounds does not necessarily indicate actual letter frequency in later answers.

Where can I find more daily puzzles from Mashable?

Mashable’s games hub offers Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and additional word games alongside daily Hurdle coverage and hints.
09/21/2026
NYT Connections Hints, Clues, and Answers for September 21, 2026
Key Highlights
- NYT Connections puzzle #1197 features four categories: Email buttons, Ways to attract fish, Chess verbs, and Starts of composers’ names.
- The solution groups include COMPOSE/DRAFTS/SENT/SPAM, CHUM/FLY/SPINNER/WORM, CAPTURE/CASTLE/CHECK/MATE, and BEET/BRAH/CHOP/VIVA.
- Associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu helped create the daily word game that resets after midnight and allows up to four mistakes per session.
NYT Connections Puzzle #1197: Hints, Categories, and Complete Solution

How Connections Works

The New York Times’ latest daily word game has become a social media hit since its launch. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and requires players to group four words that share something in common. Each puzzle features 16 words split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, and more. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends. Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Today’s Category Hints

For solvers seeking a gentle nudge without full spoilers, the category hints for puzzle #1197 were:
- Yellow: “You’ve got mail!”
- Green: “Reel it in”
- Blue: “Board game”
- Purple: “Musical icons”
These clues correspond to the four difficulty tiers, with yellow representing the most accessible grouping and purple the most challenging.

Revealed Categories and Solutions

The confirmed categories for Connections #1197 are:
- Yellow (Email buttons): COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM
- Green (Ways to attract fish): CHUM, FLY, SPINNER, WORM
- Blue (Chess verbs): CAPTURE, CASTLE, CHECK, MATE
- Purple (Starts of composers’ names): BEET, BRAH, CHOP, VIVA
The purple category requires recognizing truncated surnames: BEET for Beethoven, BRAH for Brahms, CHOP for Chopin, and VIVA for Vivaldi—representing the highest difficulty tier as indicated by the color-coding system.

Why This Matters

Connections continues to grow as a flagship title in the New York Times Games portfolio alongside Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the Crossword. The game’s design—combining lateral thinking, cultural knowledge, and pattern recognition—has fostered a daily habit for millions of players. The color-coded difficulty scaling (yellow through purple) provides a structured progression that keeps both casual and dedicated solvers engaged. Puzzle #1197 exemplifies the game’s range, spanning digital interface terminology (email buttons), outdoor recreation vocabulary (fishing lures), specialized game notation (chess verbs), and classical music literacy (composer name fragments). This diversity ensures that different knowledge domains are tested across a single session, contributing to the game’s broad appeal and social media shareability. As the NYT Games section expands—with recent additions like Strands—the ecosystem reinforces subscriber retention and digital engagement metrics critical to the Times’ business model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mistakes are allowed in NYT Connections?

Players get up to four mistakes per puzzle before the game ends. Each incorrect guess of a four-word group counts as one mistake.

Who created the NYT Connections game?

The New York Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section.

When does the Connections puzzle reset?

Connections resets after midnight each day, delivering a new set of 16 words and four categories for players to solve.
09/20/2026
NYT Connections Hints, Clues & Answers for September 20, 2026
Key Highlights
- NYT Connections puzzle #1196 features categories including “Round flat things,” “Associated with Kentucky,” “Vampire movies,” and “___ Boards you ride on.”
- The puzzle solution includes BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA for round flat things; BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN for Kentucky associations; BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT for vampire films; and HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF for rideable boards.
- Associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu is credited with helping create Connections, which has become a social media hit since its launch in the New York Times Games section.
Today’s Connections Puzzle Offers Regional and Pop Culture Challenges

The New York Times’ daily word game Connections continues to engage players with its distinctive format of grouping 16 words into four thematic categories. Puzzle #1196, released after midnight as part of the game’s daily reset, presents a mix of general knowledge and culturally specific references that may particularly resonate with players familiar with Southern United States culture. The game, which tasks participants with identifying “common threads between words,” allows up to four mistakes before ending, with color-coded difficulty levels ranging from yellow (easiest) through green, blue, and purple (hardest).

Category Breakdown and Solution Strategy

For solvers seeking guidance without immediate answers, the puzzle’s categories were hinted as: Yellow: Disc shapes; Green: Southern charm; Blue: Bloodsuckers; Purple: Sports. The confirmed categories revealed today are: “Round flat things,” “Associated with Kentucky,” “Vampire movies,” and “___ Boards you ride on.” The complete solution sets are: “Round flat things: BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA”; “Associated with Kentucky: BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN”; “Vampire movies: BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT”; “___ Boards you ride on: HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF.” Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to spot connections more easily, and results can be shared on social media similar to Wordle.

Game Origins and Growing Popularity

Connections has rapidly become a social media phenomenon since its introduction to the New York Times Games section. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the word game and bringing it to publication. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, the game follows the successful model of Wordle with daily resets and shareable results. Each puzzle requires players to group four words that share a common theme, with categories spanning diverse topics from book titles and software to country names and cultural references.

Why This Matters

NYT Connections represents the continuing evolution of digital word games as daily habits for millions of players. The puzzle’s incorporation of regionally specific knowledge—such as Kentucky associations including BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, and FRIED CHICKEN—demonstrates how the game balances accessibility with cultural literacy challenges. As part of the New York Times’ expanding Games portfolio alongside Wordle, Strands, and traditional crosswords, Connections contributes to the newspaper’s digital subscription strategy while fostering online communities around shared problem-solving. The game’s color-coded difficulty system and social sharing features encourage both casual engagement and competitive streaks among players.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mistakes are allowed in NYT Connections?

Players get up to four mistakes before the game ends. Each incorrect guess of a four-word group counts as one mistake.

Who created the NYT Connections game?

The New York Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create Connections and bringing it to the publications’ Games section.

When does the Connections puzzle reset each day?

Connections resets after midnight, with each new set of words becoming available for the daily puzzle.
09/19/2026
Hurdle Hints and Answers for September 17, 2026
Key Highlights
- Mashable published the complete solutions for Hurdle puzzle #961 on September 17, 2026, covering all five rounds and the final challenge.
- The five daily words were PROWL, EXULT, MINUS, COMBO, and QUALM, each derived from distinct clues ranging from hunting to unease.
- The final hurdle leverages answers from previous rounds as starting guesses, adding a strategic layer to the Wordle-style format.
Daily Hurdle Solutions Revealed for September 17, 2026

Mashable has released the full answer key for the September 17, 2026 edition of Hurdle, the popular five-round word puzzle that builds on the mechanics of Wordle. The daily game challenges players to solve a sequence of five-letter words, with each correct answer feeding into the next round as an automatic first guess. For puzzle number 961, the solution path moved through themes of pursuit, celebration, mathematics, combination, and doubt.

Round-by-Round Breakdown

Hurdle Word 1: PROWL

The opening round presented the clue “On the hunt.” The correct answer, PROWL, set the tone for the day’s puzzle. In Hurdle’s format, a correct guess immediately advances the player to the next hurdle, using the solved word as the starting input for the subsequent round.

Hurdle Word 2: EXULT

With PROWL locked in as the first guess, players faced the clue “To rejoice.” The solution, EXULT, continued the sequence. Note that the source text displayed “EXULTH,” which appears to be a typographical error for the standard dictionary spelling EXULT.

Hurdle Word 3: MINUS

The third hurdle offered a mathematical prompt: “Subtract.” The answer, MINUS, maintained the five-letter constraint and moved the game toward its latter stages.

Hurdle Word 4: COMBO

Clue number four, “A mixture,” yielded the answer COMBO. This round positioned players for the final challenge, where all previous correct answers are displayed with their letter highlighting intact.

Final Hurdle: QUALM

The ultimate challenge carried the hint “Unease.” The final solution, QUALM, completed the September 17 puzzle. Mashable notes an important strategic detail: the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does not necessarily indicate the frequency of that letter in the final hurdle answer.

Why This Matters

Hurdle represents an evolution in the daily word game genre popularized by The New York Times’ Wordle. By chaining five discrete puzzles into a single session and propagating solved words as subsequent starting guesses, the game introduces a cumulative logic layer absent from single-round formats. Mashable’s consistent publication of daily hints and answers supports a growing community of players who use the resource for verification, learning, or maintaining streaks. The September 17 edition exemplifies the game’s vocabulary range, spanning verbs (PROWL, EXULT), a preposition/operator (MINUS), a noun (COMBO), and an abstract noun (QUALM). As Mashable expands its games hub to include Mahjong, Sudoku, and free crosswords, Hurdle remains a flagship daily offering driving newsletter sign-ups and push alert engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Hurdle differ from Wordle?

Hurdle consists of five sequential rounds. Each correct answer becomes the automatic first guess for the next round. The final hurdle displays all previous answers with their letter highlighting, requiring players to synthesize information across all five puzzles.

What were the Hurdle answers for September 17, 2026?

The five answers were PROWL, EXULT, MINUS, COMBO, and QUALM.

Does letter highlighting from previous rounds carry over accurately to the final hurdle?

Mashable explicitly advises that the number of times a letter is highlighted in previous guesses does not necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle answer.
09/16/2026
NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 16, 2026
Key Highlights
- Today’s NYT Connections puzzle (#1192) features categories centered on metal elements, U.S. coins, poets’ middle names, and sausages with an added letter.
- Mashable provides hints and full solutions for players seeking assistance with the daily word game.
- The game, created by associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, continues to grow as a social media phenomenon alongside Wordle and Strands.
Understanding NYT Connections Gameplay

The New York Times’ Connections has rapidly become one of the publication’s most popular daily word games since its launch, joining the ranks of Wordle and Strands as a social media staple. Credited to associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game challenges players to identify the “common threads between words” by grouping 16 words into four distinct categories of four. Each puzzle resets at midnight, offering a fresh challenge that ranges from straightforward to deviously tricky. Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to spot connections more easily, and each category is color-coded by difficulty: yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple for the most difficult. Users are allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends, and results can be shared on social media, fueling its viral appeal.

Today’s Category Hints and Solutions

For Connections #1192, Mashable offered a tiered hint system to guide players without immediately spoiling the answer. The initial clues pointed toward thematic categories: Yellow hinted at the periodic table, Green at spare change, Blue at writers, and Purple at meaty eats. For those needing more direct assistance, the exact categories were revealed as: Yellow – Ending in metal elements; Green – Starting with U.S. coins; Blue – Poets’ middle names; Purple – Sausages plus a letter.

Yellow Category: Ending in Metal Elements

The yellow group, representing the easiest tier, required players to identify words ending with the names of metal elements. The correct grouping consists of LATIN, LOHN JOHN SILVER, MARIGOLD, and STEAM IRON. Each word concludes with a metal: tin, silver, gold, and iron respectively.

Green Category: Starting with U.S. Coins

The green category tasked players with finding words that begin with the names of U.S. coin denominations. The solutions are DIMENSION (dime), NICKELODEON (nickel), PENNYWISE (penny), and QUARTERBACK (quarter).

Blue Category: Poets’ Middle Names

Moving to the more challenging blue tier, the connection centered on the middle names of famous poets. The correct answers are BARRETT (Elizabeth Barrett Browning), CARLOS (Pablo Carlos Neruda), ST. VINCENT (Anne Sexton’s middle name? Actually, the source lists ST. VINCENT as a poet’s middle name; likely referring to a specific poet), and WADSWORTH (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).

Purple Category: Sausages Plus a Letter

The most difficult purple category involved wordplay on sausage varieties with an additional letter. The solutions provided are BORAT (brat + o), CLINK (link + c), FRANK-N-FURTER (frankfurter with hyphens), and WIDENER (wiener + d).

How to Play and Share Results

Connections is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices via the New York Times Games section. The interface allows players to shuffle the board at any time, a useful feature when connections are not immediately apparent. After solving—or failing—the puzzle, players can share their results in a color-coded grid format that reveals the pattern of correct and incorrect guesses without giving away the answers, fostering a community of daily solvers who compare strategies and completion times.

Why This Matters

The sustained popularity of Connections underscores the New York Times’ successful expansion into the digital gaming space, transforming its Games section into a significant subscriber retention and acquisition tool. By offering a daily logic puzzle that blends vocabulary, trivia, and lateral thinking, the Times has captured a broad audience that returns daily, driving habit formation. Mashable’s consistent coverage—providing hints, category explanations, and full solutions—reflects the high search demand for daily puzzle assistance, serving both casual players stuck on a specific category and completionists maintaining streaks. As the puzzle portfolio grows with additions like Strands, the ecosystem of companion content becomes increasingly vital for player engagement and the broader digital puzzle culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the answers for today’s Connections #1192?

The four categories and their solutions are: Ending in metal elements (LATIN, LOHN JOHN SILVER, MARIGOLD, STEAM IRON); Starting with U.S. coins (DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE, QUARTERBACK); Poets’ middle names (BARRETT, CARLOS, ST. VINCENT, WADSWORTH); Sausages plus a letter (BORAT, CLINK, FRANK-N-FURTER, WIDENER).

How does the Connections color-coding system work?

Each category is assigned a color representing its difficulty level: Yellow is the easiest, followed by Green, then Blue, with Purple being the most difficult. When a player correctly identifies a group, the words are removed from the board and displayed in their respective color.

Where can I play NYT Connections?

Connections can be played for free on the New York Times Games website (nytimes.com/games/connections) or via the New York Times Games app on iOS and Android devices. A New York Times account is required to track stats and streaks, though the game itself does not require a paid subscription to play the daily puzzle.
09/15/2026
Today’s Hurdle Answer & Hints for September 13, 2026
Today’s Hurdle Answers and Hints for September 13, 2026

If you enjoy daily word puzzles like Wordle, Hurdle adds a fresh twist to your routine. The game features five rounds where each correct answer becomes the first guess for the next hurdle, creating a chain of clues that can help — or occasionally mislead — your final solution.

How Hurdle Works

In the first round, you guess a five-letter word with feedback on correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters. When you solve it, that answer automatically becomes your starting guess for the second hurdle. This pattern continues through all five rounds. For the final hurdle, every previous answer is displayed with their letter highlights, though the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does not necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

September 13, 2026 Hurdle Solutions

Hurdle Word 1

Hint: Rounded
Answer: CURVY

Hurdle Word 2

Hint: A collection
Answer: GROUP

Hurdle Word 3

Hint: A large animal found in Alaska
Answer: MOOSE

Hurdle Word 4

Hint: Simpson patriarch
Answer: HOMER

Final Hurdle (Word 5)

Hint: To look into
Answer: PROBE

More Daily Puzzle Help

Stuck on other popular word games? Check out our coverage for:
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For a complete guide on strategies and rules, see Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers.
09/12/2026
Hurdle Hints and Answers for September 12, 2026

Today’s Hurdle Answers and Hints for September 12, 2026

If you enjoy daily word puzzles like Wordle, Hurdle makes a strong addition to your routine. The game spans five rounds. In the first round, you guess a five-letter word with feedback on correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters. A correct guess advances you to the next hurdle, using the previous answer as your starting guess. This can provide several clues or none at all, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from prior rounds appears with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

Important note: The number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does not necessarily indicate how many times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Hurdle Word 1

Hint: Each one.
Answer: EVERY

Hurdle Word 2

Hint: A safe.
Answer: VAULT

Hurdle Word 3

Hint: Moving images.
Answer: VIDEO

Hurdle Word 4

Hint: Taking legal action.
Answer: SUING

Final Hurdle (Word 5)

Hint: Rumbled.
Answer: SHOOK

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09/11/2026
NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 3, 2026
NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Today’s Puzzle #1177

The NYT Connections puzzle today offers a manageable challenge, especially if you have a knack for numbers. As one of the most popular New York Times word games, Connections tasks players with finding the “common threads between words.” Similar to Wordle, the puzzle resets after midnight, with each new set of words presenting a fresh challenge. Below, you will find hints, strategies, and the full solution to help you maintain your streak.

What Is NYT Connections?

The NYT’s latest daily word game has become a social media phenomenon. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, Connections requires players to group four words that share a common theme.

Each puzzle features 16 words divided into four distinct categories. These sets can comprise anything from book titles and software to country names. While multiple words may appear to fit together, only one correct answer exists for each group. Identifying a correct set removes those words from the board; an incorrect guess counts as a mistake, and players are allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends.

Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to spot connections more easily. Each group is color-coded by difficulty: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple (hardest). Like Wordle, you can share your results with friends on social media.

Hints for Today’s Connections Categories

If you prefer a nudge in the right direction without spoiling the specific categories, consider these clues:
- Yellow: Quickly
- Green: Scarlet
- Blue: Kid wheels
- Purple: Found in Excel
Today’s Connections Categories Revealed

Need a little more assistance? The specific categories for today’s puzzle are:
- Yellow: Two shakes of a lamb’s tail
- Green: Shades of red
- Blue: Toy car brands
- Purple: Spreadsheet functions
Today’s Connections Answers (Puzzle #1177)

Warning: The solutions are listed below. This is your last chance to solve the puzzle on your own.

The solution to today’s Connections #1177 is:
- Two shakes of a lamb’s tail: BLINK, FLASH, HEARTBEAT, TRICE
- Shades of red: CARMINE, CINNABAR, MAROON, VERMILLION
- Toy car brands: HOT WHEELS, MATCHBOX, MICRO MACHINES, TONKA
- Spreadsheet functions: AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, SUM
More Daily Puzzle Help

Looking for Wordle today? Check out the answer to today’s Wordle. Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle. If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s games hub offers Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
09/03/2026
Hurdle Hints and Answers for September 3, 2026

Today’s Hurdle Answers and Hints for September 3, 2026

If you enjoy daily word games like Wordle, Hurdle makes an excellent addition to your routine. The game features five rounds where you guess words with feedback on correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters. Each correct answer advances you to the next hurdle, using the previous solution as your starting guess for the next round. The final hurdle displays all previous answers with letter highlights, though note: the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does not necessarily indicate its frequency in the final word.

Hurdle Word 1

Hint: Jeans.
Answer: DENIM

Hurdle Word 2

Hint: Transparent.
Answer: CLEAR

Hurdle Word 3

Hint: The sound an angry dog makes.
Answer: GROWL

Hurdle Word 4

Hint: Legitimate.
Answer: LEGAL

Final Hurdle (Word 5)

Hint: Cheesy.
Answer: CORNY

More Puzzles and Games

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09/02/2026
NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 22, 2026
NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 22, 2026: “Peak Americana”

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle offers a treat for mountain enthusiasts. The New York Times’ elevated word-search game challenges players to find themed words by linking letters in any direction—up, down, left, right, or diagonally—with words that can change direction mid-path. Every letter in the grid belongs to an answer, and a special “spangram” spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically to summarize the day’s theme.

Today’s Strands Theme: Peak Americana

The hint for August 22, 2026, reads: Peak Americana. The theme centers on adjectives that describe famous mountain peaks in America. Each solution word corresponds to a well-known U.S. mountain range.

Spangram Direction and Answer

Is the spangram vertical or horizontal? Today’s spangram runs horizontally across the grid.

Spangram answer: Mountain Range

Complete Word List for August 22, 2026
- Green
- White
- Smoky
- Sawtooth
- Cascade
- Rocky
These six adjectives name major American mountain ranges: the Green Mountains (Vermont), White Mountains (New Hampshire/Maine), Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina), Sawtooth Range (Idaho), Cascade Range (Pacific Northwest), and the Rocky Mountains (spanning multiple western states).

How Strands Differs from Wordle and Connections

Unlike Wordle or Connections, Strands provides only an opaque hint without a word list. This design creates a brain-teasing experience that typically takes longer to solve—often 10 minutes or more for players working through the full grid.

More Daily Puzzle Resources

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page offers additional hints for Strands, Wordle, and Connections, plus a games hub featuring Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Strands puzzle.
08/21/2026