Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 1, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like textured things.
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:
Prickly.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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…
SPINY
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.
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.
Entertainment
Here’s a $10 Microsoft upgrade that can make your PC feel brand new
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You’d be surprised how much a new operating system can do. Your old PC may feel like an antique, but Windows 11 Pro will make it feel like you are opening it up for the first time.
Mashable Deals
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Entertainment
How Star Trek Helped A Thief Try To Steal K.I.T.T. From Knight Rider
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated

When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted its third season, the main cast members had snazzy new uniforms. They looked great, but they came at a very high cost. Each of these new uniforms cost about $3,000 at the time, which is why only main cast members got the upgrade; background actors continued to wear the older style uniforms because Paramount didn’t want to shell out too much cash. In a wild twist, however, they almost had to pay an exorbitant sum of money to some thieves who stole $82,000 worth of uniforms and attempted to ransom them for KITT, the tricked-out car from Knight Rider!
This story comes to us from Dropping Names With Brent and Jonny, a podcast hosted by TNG alumni Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes. That podcast has become a goldmine of cool trivia because, as you might imagine, these Trek icons have quite a few crazy stories to tell. But none have been quite as crazy as Frakes’ recent tale of some very specialized thieves. According to the former Riker actor, these criminals infiltrated the Paramount lot and walked off with $82,000 worth of Star Trek uniforms.
The ’80s Coolest Car

Their heist was a success, but it left the thieves with something of a problem: who was going to buy the stuff? Sure, these uniforms were worth a lot of money, but only to Paramount, which would be using them for future Star Trek productions. The average fan wasn’t going to shell out thousands for these uniforms, and trying to sell them to just anyone would be a great way to get caught. Accordingly, the thieves decided to contact Paramount with their demands, but this is where things get weird. Instead of asking for cash, the thieves wanted KITT, the car from Knight Rider.
If you’re too young to remember, Knight Rider was an iconic ‘80s show featuring David Hasselhoff. While the future Baywatch star made for a compelling lead, audiences cared more about his ride. Hasselhoff’s character drove KITT, a Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. It looked great, but this car was more than a design classic: it was also a sentient car that could talk and deploy any number of weapons and gadgets worthy of 007. It had some stiff competition from Michael Keaton’s Batmobile and Marty McFly’s DeLorean, but many fans consider this the coolest car of the ‘80s.
Game On, Thieves!

The thieves apparently agreed with this assessment, which is why they tried to use the uniforms as ransom. They wanted to give them back to Paramount in exchange for KITT, and they set up a time and place to make the exchange. However, TNG producer Merri D. Howard had already contacted the FBI about the matter. When the thieves met with him in the desert to make a swap, they didn’t get KITT. Instead, they got swarmed by federal agents who promptly arrested the criminals and returned the stolen uniforms to Paramount.
While this was seemingly the craziest incident of theft, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner made it clear that security on the Paramount lot was really bad. Apparently, it was a regular occurrence for people to steal the captain’s chair that had been ergonomically designed for Patrick Stewart. Fortunately, Paramount managed to get back the $82,000 of stolen uniforms and arrest the culprits, and Frakes and Spiner were left with the story of a lifetime.
KITT, sadly, was unavailable for comment.
Entertainment
R-Rated Netflix Thriller Exposes The Monsters That Live Among Us
By Robert Scucci
| Published

Some of the best thrillers thrive on their ability to withhold key elements of a story to keep the mystery burning well into the third act. 2022’s I Came By takes a different approach, laying all of its cards on the table early in the first act so the viewer pretty much knows what’s going on right away, while the characters still need to catch up. The thrill comes from knowing what the protagonists don’t, and wanting to yell at your TV because nobody’s communicating clearly, making everything worse for themselves.
I Came By tells a simple abduction story, but complicates itself through these interactions. We almost immediately know who the bad guy is, and we know that our heroes suspect him of foul play. The problem is that the villain is so deeply connected that he can get away with his crimes, and he does. We just need to wait it out so he can finally get caught and locked up for good. That’s the real mystery here: will he get away with it?
From Graffiti Tagging To Body Bagging

I Came By is unique in the sense that it keeps changing its protagonist. First, we follow Toby Nealey (George MacKay), a 23-year-old activist who operates anonymously through silent protests. He breaks into wealthy households and tags “I CAME BY” in huge block letters as a way to let the upper class know they’re being watched, and whatever bad behavior they engage in behind closed doors has been clocked. Toby works alone now that his best friend Jay (Percelle Ascott) finds out he’s going to be a father with his girlfriend, Naz (Varada Sethu).
When Toby decides to raid the house of former Judge Sir Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville), he informs Jay, but Jay wants nothing to do with it. He has priors and needs to stay on the straight and narrow so he can be a present father. At home, Toby’s relationship with his mother Lizzie (Kelly Macdonald) is volatile. She knows he’s getting himself into trouble and doesn’t approve of his late-night activities, which eventually leads to her kicking him out.

Toby is dead set on violating Hector’s privacy because he’s convinced that somebody so outwardly progressive must have skeletons in his closet. He learns the hard way that he’s right when he finds a hidden room in Hector’s basement where an emaciated young man is locked up. Given how worse for wear the prisoner is, it’s safe to say he’s been there for a very long time while Hector goes about his life as if nothing’s wrong.
Toby contacts the authorities, who investigate the house, but Hector is one step ahead. When Toby shows up again to free the prisoner, he’s apprehended by Hector, and it goes about as well as you’d expect. Lizzie, distraught over her son going missing and knowing he was targeting Hector, contacts Jay to see if he knows anything. Jay, not wanting to get involved, remains tight lipped but leaves clues for her to follow, which proves without a doubt that Hector was likely the last person to see Toby.
Not A Mystery, But A Solid, Straight-Up Thriller

My favorite aspect of I Came By is that there is no real mystery. As a viewer, you get a clear sense of what’s happening behind closed doors at Hector’s place. While he’s out playing cricket with his high-society peers, he feels comfortable making appearances because he knows the prison hidden in his basement is concealed well enough. His status as a former judge means he’s deeply connected and believes he’s above the law, so he operates without fear of suspicion. Toby knows this, Lizzie figures it out and goes missing, and Jay wants nothing to do with it until he realizes he has no choice but to step back in and try to find his friend and Lizzie, hoping they’re still alive.
It’s not Hector’s evil behavior or Toby’s predicament that drives the tension in I Came By, but how poorly everybody communicates. The police know something’s going on thanks to Toby reaching out before he disappeared, but they have no proof. Lizzie knows Jay is holding back, but Jay is trying to lay low with Naz so he can start a new life. Nobody speaks plainly, and it complicates everything, all while unthinkable horrors are happening in a hidden basement room behind a shelving unit.


When you fire up I Came By on Netflix, don’t expect a whodunit. You’ll be made aware of what Hector is up to before things really get going. But you’ll still find yourself on the edge of your seat as everyone who knows the truth tries to expose him, and that’s where the film thrives.
