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Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 7, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 7 PipsNumber (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 7 PipsLess Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.
Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 7 PipsEqual (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 5-6, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed 5-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this orange space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically.
Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Well, Manhunter's out of the bag.
In its fourth episode, Lanterns solves one of its biggest mysteries: Who is the Manhunter hiding out in Rushville, Nebraska? The episode cycles through several red herrings — Hector Hammond (Jason Manuel Olazabal), real name Hector Gutierrez, and William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) — before landing on the truth. The Manhunter is none other than Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan), William's wife and John Stewart's (Aaron Pierre) occasional confidant and hook-up.
How did Lanterns hint at Zoe's pivotal role while she was hiding in plain sight the whole time? Let's take a look.
SEE ALSO: 'Lanterns' review: Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre shine bright in DC's sci-fi mystery What were the biggest hints that Zoe is the Manhunter in Lanterns? Poorna Jagannathan in "Lanterns." Credit: John Johnson / HBO MaxThe biggest clue about Zoe's true nature in Lanterns was her immediate intimacy with John. Clearly, seeing two Green Lanterns waltz into Rushville poses a threat to her. But instead of trying to force them out with brute strength, she chose a more strategic approach: Getting close to John in order to gain his trust. Surely he would never suspect the woman he was entangled with, right? (Based on how John and Hal [Kyle Chandler] constantly use he/him pronouns when talking about the hidden Manhunter, it's unlikely they suspected women at all until the reveal.)
Episode 4 of Lanterns saw Zoe putting even more pressure on her relationship with John. When she visits him at his motel, she emphasizes that this is the last time they can have sex, as his only two options following his confrontation with Macon are leaving or dying. She leans hard on pushing him to leave, and when he stands firm, she takes the nuclear option: faking her death to send John and Hal on the wild goose chase to Hector.
Notably, when Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) tells John about his own experience with a Manhunter, he asks, "Have you ever been deceived by someone you love?" While I wouldn't go so far as to call John and Zoe's relationship "love," Antaan did have a point that the Manhunter would take the romantic route, and that John would be deceived by someone he's intimately close with.
Zoe's relationship with Macon offered more foreshadowing about her being the Manhunter. Clearly, Macon was aware of Zoe and John's relationship, yet he never retaliated against either Zoe or John, beyond the occasional verbal jab. Does Macon, Mr. Private Militia, seem like the type to take infidelity lying down? No way. Not unless Zoe held the upper hand in the power dynamic, and he understood that her cheating was all part of a plan to lure the Green Lanterns off her trail.
In episode 4, Macon also recounts the story of how he and Zoe met. She was a nurse who treated him while he had cancer. The way he tells it, that was when his mysterious, god-like benefactor showed up and cured him. But what if that benefactor and his nurse were one and the same?
As Hal tells John (before casually driving him off the road), Manhunters are programmed to latch onto the weak points of societies. A nurse treats people when they're at their weakest, meaning that Zoe's job put her in a prime position to establish relationships with Rushville's community. Based on the town's empty hospital, she cured everyone of everything, proving her power and putting Rushville's citizens in her debt.
Beyond Macon and his men, and likely Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald), how much more of Rushville is aware they have an alien benefactor in their midst? And what lengths will they go to to keep her safe, now that her cover is blown?
Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.
Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.
While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 7, 2026 Cup meaningA small, round container used for drinking liquids.
Hook meaningA curved tool meant for catching.
Strap meaningA flexible material made of cloth.
Underwire meaningA thin strip of metal in a bra cup.
Plutonium meaningA radioactive chemical element.
Scar tissue meaningA group of cells used to repair skin.
Stitch marker meaningA tool used in knitting to kepe track of stitch placements.
Trampoline meaningA bouncy toy used for jumping up and down.
Fabrication meaningA lie.
Fish story meaningAn exaggerated tale.
Tall tale meaningA story that's hard to believe.
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Yarn meaningA college-entry test score.
Car air freshener meaningA device that dispenses cash.
Christmas meaningA flat screen technology used in digital devices.
Needles meaningA secret code used to verify one's identity.
Turpentine meaningThe scannable barcode on a retail item.
Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a storyteller.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. 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 require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. 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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.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.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: What an account
Green: Chest support
Blue: Fresh scents
Purple: Animated friends
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Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Quite the saga
Green: Parts of a bra
Blue: Associated with pine trees
Purple: Starting with Disney characters
Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1179 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayQuite the saga: FABRICATION, FISH STORY, TALL TALE, YARN
Parts of a bra: CUP, HOOK, STRAP, UNDERWIRE
Associated with pine trees: CAR AIR FRESHENER, CHRISTMAS, NEEDLES, TURPENTINE
Starting with Disney characters: PLUTONIUM, SCAR TISSUE, STITCH MARKER, TRAMPOLINE
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're fair.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 7, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's a deal!The words are related to agreement.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe meeting in the middle.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
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NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Meet Me Halfway.
NYT Strands word list for September 7Share
Agree
Negotiate
Meet Me Halfway
Compromise
Settle
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you don't have good eyes.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 7, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 7, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Without sight.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters.
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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.
Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!
The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
BLIND
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
TL;DR: Get 20TB of Scramble cloud storage for life for $349.95 (reg. $1,440).
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OpenAI and Microsoft face another lawsuit from news organizations the Seattle Times and Newsday, which accuse the tech giants of using their sites to train AI without permission.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that the companies scraped paywalled content and added it to training datasets used for ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and the new AI-powered Bing.
SEE ALSO: Massachusetts state police ordered to make surveillance camera locations publicThe chatbots were able to reproduce entire passages and closely paraphrase reporters' work, the publishers claim. The lawsuit demands that the tech companies destroy any existing copies of the published material, as well as training datasets or AI models that incorporate it, Reuters reported.
"We feel strongly that we must defend our content — which we spend millions of dollars a year to produce — from being used without our consent or compensation," wrote Seattle Times president and CEO Alan Fisco in a message to employees.
OpenAI said in a response to the press that the company only uses publicly available materials grounded in fair use for model training. Microsoft said it was surprised by the lawsuit, but was willing to "sit down and explore solutions" with the publishers.
The AI developer and its collaborator, Microsoft, have faced several court battles over its training data and alleged copyright infringement, including an ongoing lawsuit with the New York Times and a cohort of other publishers. The Times has argued that the company's products compete with the news outlet by reproducing its work without appropriately transforming it under existing fair use protections.
Last week, the Trump administration filed a Statement of Interest (SOI) in the case, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) writing that a decision siding with the New York Times would be a hit to local newsrooms and independent journalism. The DOJ argued that AI can be harnessed by small publishers to stay competitive with mainstream news outlets.
The brief also claims a Times win would "threaten national security" by stalling AI advancement and giving foreign competitors an edge. The administration has used this argument to attempt to thwart litigation against AI data centers, as well.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Massachusetts law enforcement can't withhold information about the locations of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology from the public, a superior court judge has ruled.
It's the latest speed bump to a swelling nationwide surveillance network spurred by controversial Flock cameras.
The decision ends a three-year court battle between the ACLU of Massachusetts and the state police, following the civil society group's 2023 lawsuit against the state for refusing to disclose records on the locations of ALPRs and the use of the public's data by police.
SEE ALSO: These hikers relied on tech and AI. They had to be rescued.At the time, the state was holding an estimated 290 million records used to track motorists and monitor vehicle activity. The judge determined that state police could not justify withholding the information from the public and ordered an immediate release of ALPR records.
"Over the past year, public outrage about secretive police surveillance has exploded across Massachusetts and the nation," said Kade Crockford, director of technology and justice programs at the ACLU of Massachusetts. "People from cities and towns across the state have been organizing to push back against local police adoption of Flock and other license plate readers. But what many residents don’t know is that the Massachusetts State Police maintains its own statewide network of license plate readers."
The explosion of ALPR surveillance systems, enabled by the integration of sophisticated AI, has prompted concern from privacy advocates and free speech organizations. Communities have pushed back against the growing presence of Flock cameras, often engaging in guerrilla tactics to expose and disable them.
A bipartisan effort to regulate companies like Flock has gained momentum ahead of the midterm elections, with prominent voices from both parties pushing for legislation to restrict their use by authorities. Last month, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley announced he was leading an investigation into Flock, as state governments crack down on data collection and block funding for the private tech company.
"In my 20-plus years at the ACLU, I’ve never really seen such a grassroots uprising against surveillance technology like this," said ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley in a recent interview with the Guardian.
Dr. Mary Anne Franks gets why people may be upset by a recent court ruling on possessing AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
The decision, issued in late August by a federal appeals court panel, found that the First Amendment protects the possession of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, in the home if it was created using artificial intelligence and does not depict an actual child.
"A lot of people have quite understandable intuitions about how wrong this sounds, or how it sounds like there's something radical going on here," said Franks, the Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Civil Rights at the George Washington University Law School.
SEE ALSO: Grok CSAM lawsuit expands as more step forwardInstead, Franks said the panel adhered to Supreme Court decisions issued decades ago, before AI could render hyper-realistic images of fake people and fake images of real people.
"I do think it's a really straightforward reading of prior precedent, but I also understand why it's really upsetting to hear," Franks told Mashable.
But that's not the end of the story. The judges made clear their discomfort with the conclusion by signaling to the Supreme Court that it might reconsider the precedent. Franks called the move "unusual."
"[G]iven the significant advances in computer-generated image technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, we would benefit from additional guidance from the Supreme Court regarding the intersection between the First Amendment and virtual CSAM if an appropriate case should arise," wrote Judges John Z. Lee and Joshua P. Kolar.
What is the AI CSAM case really about?The three-judge panel, which is part of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, considered the facts of a federal case against Steven Anderegg, a software engineer who used generative AI tools to create "hyper-realistic" CSAM.
Not only did he allegedly produce, distribute, and possess the material, but he also sent it to a minor via Instagram direct messages in Oct. 2023. Meta, Instagram's parent company, detected and reported the image and reported it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline.
A law enforcement investigation subsequently led to Anderegg's arrest. He was charged with multiple crimes, including knowingly possessing "at least one visual depiction that depicted a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and was obscene."
Anderegg moved to dismiss the possession charge, arguing that conviction for possession of CSAM would violate his First Amendment rights as defined by past Supreme Court decisions. A district court agreed. Prosecutors appealed that decision, landing the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which ultimately dropped the possession charge.
Anderegg still faces charges for producing and distributing CSAM.
Why is this kind of CSAM protected by the First Amendment?A combination of past Supreme Court cases led to the dropping of Anderegg's CSAM possession charge, Franks explained.
Namely, in 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in Stanley v. Georgia that individuals have a right to possess obscenity in their own home.
By 1990, however, the Supreme Court carved out an exception when it addressed the possession of "child pornography" in Osborne v. Ohio. The decision recognized that, possession of CSAM, even if viewed only in the home, serves both as a permanent record of a child's abuse and as a potential lure for other victims. Prohibiting possession of this material could help decrease the demand and production of CSAM, the justices reasoned.
Then, in 2002, the Supreme Court considered a federal law provision that prohibited the possession of virtual CSAM. The ban was broadly written to include any visual depiction or computer-generated image that appeared to be of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The court struck down the provision and effectively declared that entirely computer-generated CSAM is protected by the First Amendment.
The Court did not address another provision of the federal law that banned "morphed" CSAM, or computer-generated CSAM created using images of real children.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit judges who recently relied on the 2002 ruling to decide Anderegg's appeal acknowledged the difficulty of doing so.
"Given the relentless advancement in artificial intelligence models, we have some concerns about the lines these cases draw, but we are not free to redraw them ourselves," Judge John Z. Lee wrote in his opinion.
What happens next with AI CSAMThe government has not yet appealed the 7th Circuit's decision, but Franks said it has the option to do so. In that scenario, the Supreme Court would consider taking up the case in the October term.
Franks said the conclusion that fully virtual CSAM is protected by the First Amendment could be successfully challenged. In particular, the government could argue that AI models have indeed been trained on CSAM imagery.
As a result, even if a particular AI-generated CSAM image doesn't depict a real child, it may have been produced using an image of a real child being victimized.
Franks does believe that prohibitions of virtual CSAM must be very narrowly and carefully defined to avoid "weaponization by moralistic crusaders with anti-LGBTQ+, misogynist, and/or anti-sexual education agendas."
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, for example, argues that porn should be outlawed and those who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Project 2025 links porn to "the omnipresent propagation of transgender ideology and sexualization of children."
Still, Franks said the risks of AI CSAM are real and present, not hypothetical possibilities.
In her opinion, AI CSAM normalizes the sexualization of children by adults and by other children, undermining their bodily autonomy, self-esteem, and flourishing.
"The question we should be asking is what possible benefit AI CSAM provides that justifies such harms," Franks said.
If you are a child being sexually exploited online, or you know a child who is being sexually exploited online, or you witnessed exploitation of a child occur online, you can report it to the CyberTipline, which is operated by the National Center for Missing Exploited & Children.
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BJ’s Wholesale Club is a place to shop for family essentials, including fresh foods, produce, deli items, household staples, and more. BJ’s members can save up to 25% off grocery store prices, but that’s not the only reason to shop there. You can also look out for new clothes, seasonal décor, toys, tech, and furniture.
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You don’t have to shop in-store to use the membership. BJ’s has an app that lets you shop online and choose curbside pickup or same-day delivery when it’s available in your area. You can also add digital coupons directly to your membership card, so the discount applies automatically at checkout.
This deal is for new members only and gives you a code you can redeem directly on BJ's.com to create your membership. Your membership comes with auto-renewal enabled, but you can switch it off in your account settings if you want to control when you re-up.
Try a new way to shop. Get a one-year BJ’s Club Card Membership for $15.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
For a dating site that launched at the dawn of the new millennium, eharmony has remained relevant, largely by focusing on a more substantive, personality-based approach to online matchmaking. Of course, it's still far from perfect. While users consistently appreciate the depth of its matchmaking algorithm, they also have numerous complaints about the cost of the service and the proliferation of fake profiles, especially since artificial intelligence became widely available.
Opens in a new window Credit: eharmony eharmony Learn MoreHere's what real eharmony users had to say about the site, from the best features to the worst experiences:
Pro: The screening process weeds out unserious datersIf you're looking for substance in your dating life, one of the first challenges can be filtering out the seemingly overwhelming number of people who are in it for short-term fun. But eharmony largely bypasses that problem, first by its reputation (it began as a Christian dating site!) and next by its rather involved signup process, which includes filling out their proprietary compatibility questionnaire.
Reddit reviewers consistently lauded this focus on substance in the screening process ("it forces you to focus on depth over pure visuals") and found the compatibility scores, assigned based on your answers to the personality quiz you take when you sign up, to be a useful way of evaluating matches before starting a conversation.
SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurtHere's a story from one older gentleman: "My mindset was that I really needed to be fully honest in my answers, because why would I pay for a service and not be honest? After a few days, I got my matches. A day later, I got a nice message from a woman 10 years younger than me. We exchanged some messages, and then I looked at our match score after she prompted me about it. We were 126 out of 140. I decided to go with it because she and I were really vibing on each other. A year later we got engaged and will marry next year."
For reference, a compatibility score of 126 on eharmony is incredibly rare. As one Redditor responded, "When I was on there, I never had greater than 105 with any match."
Con: Expensive membership feesA recurring complaint about eharmony was the cost of a premium membership, which is non-negotiable if you want to get the most out of the site (you can't even see photos without upgrading!). There are three premium membership tiers (Light, Plus, and Unlimited), with pricing varying somewhat by your location, but you should expect to pay at least $15 per month for a membership, which makes it more expensive than a standard Netflix membership and in line with some of the cheaper gym memberships you can get.
Users consistently complained not only about the price but also about the cancellation process: "I’ve tried eHarmony and found it way too expensive for what it offers, and to top it [off], the process of cancellation is so complicated," said one Reddit reviewer. Other users were outraged by the automatic membership renewals or the difficulty of canceling a subscription, even within 12 hours of signing up.
On the other hand, eharmony regularly offers steep discounts of up to 50 percent off its membership price, so if you time your signup right, you can enjoy substantial savings.
Pro: eharmony caters to older datersIt isn't necessarily by design, but it's also glaringly obvious that different age demographics tend to gravitate towards different dating sites or apps, which becomes very apparent if you've ever used Tinder as a middle-aged adult. Older daters, divorced daters, and anyone looking for a more mature partner should definitely give eharmony a try (we named it the "gold standard" for daters over 40 for a reason!)
Here's a typical experience from an older male dater: "45 yo divorced guy here. I signed up with eHarmony and Bumble 2 months ago based on recommendations from co-workers. I've had much better luck with eHarmony than Bumble. My highest compatibility ratings are in the 110 to 116 range, and these comprise about 33 percent of my daily feed. The other 33 percent are in the 100 to 105 rating scale, and the final 33 percent are in the 89 to 99 rating scale. [...] In contrast, I have connected with zero women in Bumble Premium after 2 months."
Con: Proliferation of fake profilesIn the age of agentic AI and cheaply produced fake photos and videos, all dating sites are having a hard time distinguishing between real and fake members, but eharmony users were particularly concerned with the number of fake dating profiles they would have to sift through before finding a real human being to engage.
In fact, one of the top-rated posts on the /r/eharmony subreddit in the last year decries, "The fake profile problem has got noticeably worse," complaining that of the 14 likes their account received, 11 came from obviously fake accounts.
How big a con is this, really? For older daters unaccustomed to filtering out fake profiles and obviously enhanced photos, it can be a pain in the butt, but if you're even remotely internet-savvy, you shouldn't have too much trouble distinguishing real from unreal users, and we guarantee you'll encounter this problem, to some degree, on almost every dating platform currently in use. And because eharmony is so restrictive of free members, it's a problem you can largely side-step if you upgrade your account and only interact with other paying members.
TL;DR: Watch Valencia vs. Barcelona in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
La Liga has started with Barcelona and Real Madrid dominating the standings. What's new?
It's the biggest rivalry in Spanish football, by some margin. We know it's only early days, but it's already shaping up to be a pretty epic battle between Spain's biggest clubs. Can Barcelona continue to top the standings after the fourth round of fixtures? They'll need to overcome Valencia at the Mestalla.
If you're interested in watching Valencia vs. Barcelona in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is Valencia vs. Barcelona?Valencia vs. Barcelona in La Liga kicks off at 10:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 6. This fixture takes place at the Mestalla.
How to watch Valencia vs. Barcelona for freeValencia vs. Barcelona in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.
CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Valencia vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Valencia vs. Barcelona for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil
Visit CazéTV
Watch Valencia vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Valencia vs. Barcelona without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for La Liga?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Valencia vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintA Bostonian hockey player.
Hurdle Word 1 answerBRUIN
Hurdle Word 2 hintTo cause.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerBEGET
Hurdle Word 3 hintTo swindle.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 6, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerGRIFT
Hurdle Word 4 hintCome together.
Hurdle Word 4 answerUNITE
Final Hurdle hintAllocate.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerALLOT
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
TL;DR: Watch Everton vs. Manchester United in the Premier League for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
It doesn't really matter whether Manchester United are the best or worst team in the Premier League. Either way, they are going to get a lot of eyes on them. That's just the way it goes for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Manchester United started this campaign with a shock defeat to Hull City, but bounced back with a home win over Ipswich Town. Now they face a tricky matchup with Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Moyes's team are unbeaten after two games.
If you're interested in watching Everton vs. Manchester United in the Premier League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is Everton vs. Manchester United?Everton vs. Manchester United in the Premier League kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on Sept. 6. This fixture takes place at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
How to watch Everton vs. Manchester United for freeEverton vs. Manchester United in the Premier League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.
CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Everton vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Everton vs. Manchester United for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil
Visit CazéTV
Watch Everton vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Everton vs. Manchester United without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more Premier League action) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the Premier League?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Everton vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you're a fan of the Houston Texans.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. 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 before the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.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.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Defense
Green: Meet the Joneses
Blue: Houston football players
Purple: Sounds like an NFL player
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Defend
Green: Joneses
Blue: Houston Texans
Purple: NFL QBs with the First Letter Changed
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #713 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?Defend: BLANKET, COVER, GUARD, SHIELD
Joneses: DANIEL, DEACON, JONQUEL, MAC
Houston Texans: DELL, MARKS, STINGLEY, STROUD
NFL QBs with the First Letter Changed: CART, COVER, DODGERS, THOUGH
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 6, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 6 PipsNumber (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 6 PipsNumber (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 5-6, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 6 PipsLess Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this red space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 4-6, placed vertically.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.
Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-1, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this red space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this red space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically.
Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.
Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.
While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 6, 2026 Card slot meaningA port in a computer meant for a memory card.
Headphone jack meaningA port in a tech device that allows for a listening device to connect.
Optical drive meaningA slot in a computer meant for CDs.
USB port meaningA slot in a tech device that allows data to be transferred.
Blank check meaningGiving someone freedom to take action.
Carte blanche meaningComplete authority to make a decision.
Free reign meaningUnrestricted liberty or control.
Full authority meaningHaving complete power to make decisions.
Court scribe meaningA person responsible for recording legal proceedings.
Director's cut meaningRestored video content including deleted scenes.
Pizza slice meaningPiece of a pie.
Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.
SAT score meaningA college-entry test score.
ATM machine meaningA device that dispenses cash.
LCD display meaningA flat screen technology used in digital devices.
PIN number meaningA secret code used to verify one's identity.
UPC code meaningThe scannable barcode on a retail item.
Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a computer geek.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. 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 require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. 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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.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.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: All-access
Green: PC slots
Blue: Shortened
Purple: Dig in
Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.
Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Unrestricted permission
Green: Places to insert something on a computer
Blue: Abbreviations followed by redundant word
Purple: Ending with ways to carve a surface
Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1178 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayUnrestricted permission: BLANK CHECK, CARTE BLANCHE, FREE REIGN, FULL AUTHORITY
Places to insert something on a computer: CARD SLOT, HEADPHONE JACK, OPTICAL DRIVE, USB PORT
Abbreviations followed by redundant word: ATM MACHINE, LCD DISPLAY, PIN NUMBER, UPC CODE
Ending with ways to carve a surface: COURT SCRIBE, DIRECTOR'S CUT, PIZZA SLICE, SAT SCORE
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.