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.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Pertaining to.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

ABOUT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Existing.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ALIVE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A say.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

VOICE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Let's get married!

Hurdle Word 4 answer

HITCH

Final Hurdle hint

Red fruit.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

APPLE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The Moon is starting to look a little less full as we move through the Waning Gibbous phase, with the Third Quarter Moon coming up next in the lunar calendar.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Friday, Oct. 30, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waning Gibbous phase, with 78% of its surface visible.

Tonight, without the use of visual aids you should be able to spot the Tycho Crater, Copernicus Crater, and the Mare Serenitatis. Binoculars will also help you see the Alphonsus Crater, the Clavius Crater, and the Apennine Mountains. And, if you have access to a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Caucasus Mountains.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on November 24.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to complete an orbit around Earth, going through a series of phases along the way. Depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun, the amount of its illuminated surface we can see changes, creating the familiar sequence of crescents, quarter moons and the Full Moon. Once the cycle is complete, the pattern repeats, as explained by NASA.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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.

Flash meaning

A sudden, brief burst of bright light.

Lens meaning

A piece of glass or plastic with curved surfaces used in cameras, eyeglasses, microscopes and telescopes to focus or scatter light.

Shutter meaning

A movable cover for a window.

Viewfinder meaning

A device on a camera for showing the area of the subject to be included in the picture.

Demon meaning

A supernatural entity most commonly viewed as malevolent or evil.

Drape meaning

Long, thick window hangings, usually used in the plural.

Glum meaning

Sad, depressed, disappointed or silently gloomy.

Grange meaning

A farm with a farmhouse and outbuildings.

Backdrop meaning

A painted cloth hung at the rear of a theater stage.

Curtain meaning

A piece of cloth or fabric hung over a window, doorway or space to provide privacy, block or filter light and decorate a room.

Pit meaning

A large or deep hole in the ground.

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.

Wings meaning

A movable appendage, structure or part used by birds, bats and insects for flight.

Hand meaning

The end part of the human arm used for holding, grasping and touching.

Pillow meaning

A soft, rectangular or square cloth bag filled with soft materials.

Rug meaning

A piece of thick, heavy fabric used as a movable floor covering.

Shade meaning

A cool, dark area sheltered from direct sunlight.

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 theater kid.

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.

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.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Lights, camera, action!

• Green: Go to the show

• Blue: Toss it

• Purple: Healthy and sweet

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 categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Parts of a Camera

• Green: Around a Theater Stage

• Blue: Throw ___

• Purple: Fruit with First Letter Changed

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 #1237 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Parts of a Camera: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER

• Around a Theater Stage: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS

• Throw ___: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE

• Fruit with First Letter Changed: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE

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 will be easy if you're always charged up.

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.

By 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.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: All charged up

The words are related to voltage.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe powering up.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Plugged In.

NYT Strands word list for October 30

• Juice

• Plugged In

• Electricity

• Current

• Spark

• Power

• Energy

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're easygoing.

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.

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.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Ride along.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

SLIDE

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.

Binance may have been hacked. The popular crypto exchange announced a "potential security issue" on Thursday, freezing withdrawals after an apparent hacker drained hot wallets of several billion dollars in cryptocurrency. As of 10:25 p.m ET / 7:25 p.m. PT, Binance states that the breach has impacted approximately $6.3 billion in funds.

The official Binance X account first acknowledged the issue at 5:15 p.m. ET / 2:15 p.m. PT. This came within minutes of reports that digital finance companies Tether and Circle Group had frozen significant amounts of their respective stablecoins in response to a potential hack — specifically about $971 million in Tether and $823 million in USD Coin.

Binance subsequently stated that a total of $2.54 billion had been frozen, warning that this number would potentially grow as assets were traced. By 8:52 p.m. ET / 5:52 p.m. PT, Binance approximately $3 billion had been verified as frozen.

"Our teams are aware of reports of a potential security issue and are actively investigating," Binance wrote. "Our security teams are reviewing all relevant information with urgency, and we will provide updates through official Binance channels as soon as we have verified information."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Few details about the hack were initially available. However, the ostensible hacker's wallet held $1.77 billion in Tether, $1.44 billion in Bitcoin, and $1.01 billion in Ethereum, as well as over a billion more spread across other currencies such as USD Coin, Tron, and Solana. 

These assets were reportedly drained from hot wallets: cryptocurrency wallets that are connected to the internet. Compared to offline cold wallets, they are significantly more practical for conducting transactions on exchanges such as Binance. However, they are also less secure.

Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao has stated that it "does look like a hack," but maintained a positive outlook on the situation.

"I don't manage Binance (.com) anymore, but as a shareholder, I expect all user funds will be fully covered," Zhao wrote on X.

In an update at 6:33 p.m. ET / 3:33 p.m. PT., Binance stated that its team was conducting security checks, and attempted to reassure anxious users.

"Withdrawals will resume as soon as the security issue is fully resolved," it wrote. "User funds remain safe."

Binance later announced at 7:06 p.m. ET / 4:06 p.m. PT that it had suspended Binance Alpha trading, which would "resume once the security issue is resolved." Binance Alpha is a platform dedicated to highlighting early-stage crypto projects, which are not yet listed on the Binance exchange.

This freeze was extended to all transactions on Binance a little over an hour later, the exchange stating that it would "cover all losses."

"As a precaution, all deposits and withdrawals are temporarily suspended while our team conducts security checks, freezes funds, and works with law enforcement," Binance posted at 8:13 p.m. ET / 5:13 p.m. PT. "This is an industry-wide effort, and we are grateful to partners across the ecosystem who have moved quickly to help freeze affected assets."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Over five hours after Binance first acknowledged the incident, the exchange stated it may have found the source of the breach: a compromised laptop.

"Binance's initial investigation suggests that the security incident may involve a compromised DevOps engineer’s laptop, which allowed an attacker to gain access to a service container and submit unauthorized withdrawal transactions," Binance posted at 10:25 p.m ET / 7:25 p.m. PT. "We have found no evidence of any wallet private key leak."

It further stated that it had revoked the authorisation of the potential hacker's crypto address, and elaborated on its commitment to cover any losses.

"Binance will cover all losses from the SAFU fund and the company’s funds. User funds are safe," Binance wrote in a blog post. "We will also publish an updated Proof of Reserves once the remediation is complete."

The SAFU (aka Secure Asset Fund for Users) is Binance's emergency reserve fund specifically for compensating impacted individuals in the event of severe breaches such as this. Held entirely in Bitcoin, SAFU's assets were valued at $1 billion earlier this month — a sixth of the amount impacted by Thursday's hack. Binance previously stated that it would replenish SAFU if it dropped below $800 million, "helping maintain the fund at a level intended to cover potential extreme-case scenarios."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

UPDATE: Oct. 30, 2026, 2:48 p.m. AEDT This article had been updated to add further developments.

SAVE $30: As of Oct. 29, Mashable's favorite budget headphones, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC (Jélle edition in Royal Caviar), are on sale for $69.99 at Amazon. That's 30% off their $99.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: JLab

JLab JBuds Lux ANC

$69.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $30

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you refuse to spend $350 on headphones just to tune out your coworkers, here’s some good news: Amazon just knocked 30% off the JLab JBuds Lux ANC (Jélle collection in Royal Caviar). That brings them down from $99.99 to $69.99, saving you an easy $30 on a pair our team genuinely loves.

We test piles of headphones at Mashable, and these earned the "best value" spot in our guide to the best pairs under $100. Plus, in our massive roundup of the best headphones of 2026, the JBuds Lux ANC snagged the crown for the best budget headphones.

Our guide lays it out plainly: if you’re a pure "value fiend" who doesn't care to drop hundreds on expensive cans, these more than get the job done. Once you tweak the equalizer in the app (the out-of-the-box settings lean a little heavy on the bass), tracks sound surprisingly clean and separated instead of turning into muffled mush.

The active noise cancellation won't create a spooky, absolute void of silence like a $400 pair of Sonys, but it easily dampens office chatter, air conditioners, and subway hum. Even better, you can actually adjust the ANC intensity in the app — a feature some luxury brands don't even give you.

And the battery life is almost comical: you get 70 hours of juice, or 40-plus with ANC running. You can pack them for a cross-country flight, use them all week at your desk, and still forget where you left the charging cable because you rarely need it.

$69.99 is the cheapest way to buy yourself peace, quiet, and 70 hours of battery life — grab a pair of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC before this deal sells out.