- Help
- Google+
Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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 Nov. 7'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 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. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach 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.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers 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's The Mini crossword answers for November 8 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: Puck protection
Green: Yellow flag topics
Blue: Hoop dreams
Purple: Different types of this sport
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow - Hockey equipment
Green - Football penalties
Blue - Basketball movies
Purple - ____ Hockey
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 #46 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayHockey equipment: GLOVE, HELMET, SKATES, STICK
Football penalties: CLIPPING, FACE MASK, HOLDING, OFFSIDE
Basketball movies: HOOSIERS, HUSTLE, SEMI-PRO, SPACE JAM
____ Hockey: AIR, FIELD, FLOOR, ICE
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableHere are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, November 8, 2024:
AcrossBoringly dullThe answer is Blah.
The answer is Pause.
The answer is Anise.
The answer is Waged.
The answer is Slit.
The answer is Banal.
The answer is Luigi (without the ').
The answer is Asset.
The answer is Heed.
The answer is Paws.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of GamesAre you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands 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 November 8 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 8 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: 👋👏🤝🤏✌️☝️✊🙏These words are literal translations.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords for what these hands are doing.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is HandGestures.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for November 8Pinch
Wave
Fist
Shake
Pray
Peace
Point
Clap
HandGestures
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.
Right from its first episode, Alfonso Cuarón's Disclaimer warned us to "beware of narrative and form." After all, the person telling a story and the way in which they choose to tell it can be just as manipulative or misleading as an outright lie. Now, in Disclaimer's finale, that driving question of narrative manipulation finally comes to a head.
Throughout Disclaimer's first six episodes, we've only heard one side of the story of Jonathan Brigstocke's (Louis Partridge) death, as laid out in a book by his mother Nancy (Lesley Manville). As Nancy writes in The Perfect Stranger, documentarian Catherine Ravenscroft (played in the present by Cate Blanchett, and in the past by Leila George) seduced Jonathan while on vacation in Italy with her young son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Nancy's evidence? Photos of Catherine in lingerie, then in the nude, that she found while developing film from Jonathan's camera.
SEE ALSO: 'Disclaimer' review: Cate Blanchett and Alfonso Cuarón's thriller series will shatter youAccording to The Perfect Stranger, Catherine convinced Jonathan to stay with her an extra day to extend their beachside affair. However, as the two rushed off to have sex, Nicholas went out into the sea on a small boat, unsupervised. Upon returning to the beach, Jonathan saved him, only to drown as lifeguards focused solely on saving Nicholas.
Nancy believes that Catherine made the monstrous choice not to call attention to Jonathan's struggles out at sea because he'd wanted to return to London with her, which would complicate matters with her husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen). She channeled that hatred of Catherine into writing The Perfect Stranger. Upon Nancy's death, her husband, Stephen (Kevin Kline), used that manuscript to steadily tear Catherine's life apart, all without having ever met her.
The two finally come face to face in Disclaimer's finale, and Catherine gets to share her side of the story. While she admits Nancy got some elements of the story right — details of the location, for example, and the fact that Catherine chose to stay silent about Jonathan's drowning — her telling is far from the lusty sexual escapades detailed in The Perfect Stranger. Instead, it's a graphic, devastating account of sexual assault, one that throws all of Disclaimer into a harsh new light. Let's break it down.
SEE ALSO: 'Blitz' review: Steve McQueen's World War II epic dazzles but ultimately disappoints What really happened between Catherine and Jonathan in Disclaimer? Leila George in "Disclaimer." Credit: AppleTV+As Catherine tells Stephen in Disclaimer's finale, Jonathan broke into her hotel room and forced her at knifepoint to undress. Hoping to protect herself and Nicholas, she complied. He then made her pose for him as he took photos, and raped her throughout the night. Disclaimer shows the traumatic scene in detail, but without any diegetic sound. Instead, all we hear is Catherine's narration, retelling a story she's never told anyone else.
Her narration continues into the next day, when, hoping to maintain an air of normalcy for Nicholas, she took him to the beach. Exhausted and in pain from Jonathan's assault, she falls asleep, at which point Nicholas drifts off to sea. From here, the story plays out similarly to Nancy's conception of it: Jonathan rushes out to save Nicholas; lifeguards bring the boy safely back to shore; and Catherine says nothing about Jonathan. However, Catherine's motivation here is more complicated, as the young man who saved her son's life is her rapist.
SEE ALSO: 'A Real Pain' review: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin charm as odd-couple cousinsWith Jonathan dead, and with everyone believing him to be a hero, Catherine chose to get rid of any evidence she'd collected of the assault, including photos she took of her injuries. "I thought, 'Thank God he's dead. I don't have to prove myself innocent to anyone. I don't have to talk about it if I don't want to. I don't have to relive it if I don't want to,'" she tells Stephen.
Catherine also reveals she learned she was pregnant after the trip and, not knowing whether the father was Robert or Jonathan, terminated the pregnancy. With all physical traces of the assault gone, she hoped to continue her life as if nothing ever happened. But the arrival of The Perfect Stranger re-ignited that trauma, painting her as the villain when she was in fact a victim.
Disclaimer has been building to this reveal for a while. Kevin Kline and Cate Blanchett in "Disclaimer." Credit: AppleTV+I'm always conflicted when film and TV use sexual assault as a plot device. Too often, it can feel like hollow shock factor, brutalization for brutalization's sake. That Disclaimer positions Catherine's rape as a twist, especially after six episodes of what feels more like a pulpy thriller, threatens to push the show into shock-factor territory.
However, Disclaimer has been building to Catherine's story for its entire run, planting seeds of doubt in the viewers' minds even as Stephen, Robert, and Nicholas blindly believe the fantasy Nancy has presented. For example, we learn that the suggestive photos Jonathan took of Catherine on the beach were nonconsensual images of her brushing sand from her thighs and chest well before they met. We also learn that the small knife wound Nancy saw on Jonathan's arm at the morgue was self-inflicted as part of his attempts to scare Catherine. And we get a better understanding of why Jonathan's girlfriend, Sasha (Liv Hill), left him in Italy in the first place. It wasn't because her aunt died, as Nancy wrote in The Perfect Stranger. Instead, it's because of a fight the two had that led to her mother making what Nancy called some "extreme" accusations. While we never learn exactly what those are, there's a clear undertone of sexual violence to their parting — one that Stephen and especially Nancy conveniently ignore.
Then, of course, there's the fact that The Perfect Stranger is solely a product of Nancy's speculation, and we know that she has a very rosy outlook on who Jonathan was. (It's an outlook that Cuarón renders literal with the warm, summery glow of any scene lifted from The Perfect Stranger.) Her version of Jonathan is such a perfect, innocent angel that it's impossible to think of him as a real person — he's literally too good to be true.
SEE ALSO: 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 finale: Wait, what about those loose ends from Season 1?Nancy's overprotectiveness of Jonathan's character in death means she offloads flaw after flaw onto her fictionalized version of Catherine, someone she's only seen in suggestive photos. Because of this, she leans hard into the misogynistic trope of the predatory older woman, painting Catherine as a demonic temptress. (Only one of these women has written Kylie Minogue-centric erotica about her son, though.)
Cuarón combats Nancy's characterization of Catherine as a temptress through elements beyond the narrative content of Catherine's encounter with Jonathan. For instance, the paintings on Catherine's hotel room ceiling shift depending on the account. In Nancy's imaginings of Catherine and Jonathan's passionate love affair, the ceiling depicts lovers entwined in a passionate embrace. When Catherine recalls her assault, she remembers the ceiling bearing the image of an ailing woman held up by angels, while the painting above her bed is a woman in a frightened state of undress.
Elsewhere, Catherine wears a red swimsuit the day of Jonathan's death in The Perfect Stranger — the same color she wore when they met. But in Catherine's memory, the swimsuit is black, reminiscent of mourning and the pain she suffered the night before. Of course, the small details in Catherine's telling may not all be objectively "true," as they are a memory. But they inform the tone of her recollection of a great trauma, and because of that, there's far more truth to them than Nancy's fiction — especially since Nancy's only "proof" was a set of photographs. And as Catherine tells Stephen, "photographs are not reality...They are a fragment of reality."
In the end, that's what Disclaimer comes down to: Do you choose to believe shocking fragments of a tale presented out of context? Or do you question them and seek the truth?
Stephen and Robert choose the former, with Stephen using the photos as part of his quest for vengeance, and Robert using them to further fuel his conception of himself as a victim at Catherine's hands. Neither stop to consider what Catherine might say, leading each to ask themselves the same thing about The Perfect Stranger in the finale: "Why did you not question it?" The simplest answer might just be that they never even considered the alternative, so caught up are they in the beleaguered heroism of their own stories.
And that brings us back to Catherine, whose own perspective throughout Disclaimer has been carefully guarded, characterized only by a scolding narrator (voiced by Indira Varma) who picks at her shame. Based on that narration, it could be easy to assume Catherine is guilty of everything Nancy accuses her of. Yet her abject horror at The Perfect Stranger, as well as the many holes in Nancy's story, are more than enough reason to start doubting the story we've been presented about Jonathan. With Catherine's revelation in Disclaimer's finale, the series confirms all these doubts. All along, we haven't been watching a woman hide from a heinous past crime. Instead, we've been watching Catherine as she's forced to re-live her trauma, something she never thought she'd have to do. It's nothing short of gutting, and less of a twist than a vital narrative re-contextualization.
Disclaimer is now streaming on AppleTV+.
If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.
TL;DR: Get over 130 hours of expert ethical hacking training across 15 courses for just £30.79 through 21 November at the Mashable Shop.
Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Course Bundle £30.79 at the Mashable ShopIf you’ve been eyeing a career in cybersecurity, these ethical hacking courses are a great way to get started. With cyber threats as a growing concern, companies are looking for experts who know how to protect their digital assets.
This online learning package includes over 130 hours of expert ethical hacking training on sale for just £30.79 (reg. £845.85). The online courses cover a diverse range of practical cybersecurity skills, from ethical hacking basics to advanced social engineering tactics, all while ensuring you stay on the white hat side of things.
Packed with 15 courses, this bundle kicks off with Python programming so you can create custom penetration testing tools — a skill that’s always in high demand. From there, you’ll dive into WiFi hacking, social engineering, and advanced tools like Metasploit and NMAP, gaining the kind of experience that hiring managers crave. By mastering these techniques, you’re setting yourself up to become a cybersecurity professional capable of protecting networks and outsmarting attackers.
Not only will you learn to crack WiFi passwords, intercept data, and explore the hidden vulnerabilities of networks, but you’ll also discover the world of ethical hacking as a viable career path. The demand for skilled ethical hackers continues to grow, with salaries that reflect the expertise required. With this bundle, you’ll even get hands-on with tools like Burp Suite and BitNinja, which are used by cybersecurity professionals every day.
This training bundle is an investment in a career that could be both personally and financially rewarding.
You can enroll in this ethical hacking course bundle at the Mashable Shop while it's on sale for £30.79 (reg. £845.85) through 21 November.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Live stream Ireland vs. New Zealand in the Autumn Nations Series for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Autumn Nations Series brings together the biggest international sides in the world of rugby. Outside of the World Cup, this series of fixtures offers the best chance of seeing the northern and southern hemispheres battle it out.
The biggest game from the second round of Autumn Internationals is surely Ireland vs. New Zealand. These sides last met in the World Cup quarter final, with the All Blacks coming out on top and crushing the dreams of the pre-tournament favorites. Can the Irish come out on top at the Aviva Stadium?
If you want to watch Ireland vs. New Zealand in the Autumn Nations Series from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Ireland vs. New Zealand?Ireland vs. New Zealand in the Autumn Nations Series kicks off at 8:10 p.m. GMT on Nov. 8. This fixture takes place at the Aviva Stadium.
How to watch Ireland vs. New Zealand for freeIreland vs. New Zealand is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player in Ireland.
If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock Virgin Media Player. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Autumn Nations Series for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Ireland vs. New Zealand for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit Virgin Media Player
Watch Ireland vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Autumn Nations Series without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Ireland vs. New Zealand (plus more Autumn Nations Series fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
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 eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Ireland vs. New Zealand in the Autumn Nations Series for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: A wide range of Microsoft Excel courses are available to take for free on Udemy.
The online world is full of free resources that can help you build a business, pursue your passions, or simply learn something new.
Online course providers like Udemy host a wide range of lessons on everything from Python programming to ChatGPT. Some of the best examples of these courses can be taken for free, and with unrestricted access to all the video content, learners can tackle the material at your own pace.
A wide range of Microsoft Excel courses are available to take for free on Udemy. We have checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses to get you started.
These are the best free Excel courses you can take this month:
It's important to note that these free online courses do not include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but that's the only catch.
Find the best free Excel courses on Udemy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy Microsoft Excel Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Unblock XVideos from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best VPN for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
You might feel like you have complete access to the online world, but you're wrong. Your access to porn sites like XVideos will be restricted in many locations around the world, which makes sense. But there is also something to be said for retaining your online freedom.
There are occasions when you simply want to spend some quality time with your favorite sites, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In those moments when you want to bypass content restrictions to access sites like XVideos, you should consider using a VPN.
If you're looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.
How to unblock XVideos for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses content restrictions so you can access porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world.
Access your favorite porn sites by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to XVideos
Access XVideos from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're temporarily away from home.
What is the best VPN for porn?ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like XVideos, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock XVideos for free with ExpressVPN.
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...
Boston's most important responders: Bostonians The people of Boston are to be congratulated for being...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
Digital Privacy: A Catch 22 Mobility, convenience, accessibility and real-...
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...