Entertainment
What Did You Do This Weekend?
How was your weekend? Back in December, a reader named Molly asked if we could share weekend recaps, which was such a sweet request. Here was our first one, and below is the second (and please share yours in the comments!)…
First off, New York got a foot of snow! The boys, of course, were thrilled.
We ventured over to friends’ house and felt like heroes when we made it down the block.
When we returned, we made an incredibly moist and delicious banana bread with the secret ingredient of sour cream. I added a chopped up sea salt chocolate bar, which made it extra decadent.
Plus, muesli as a snack, courtesy of my dad.
Later, a few cute visitors arrived at our place. “On our walk here, everyone we passed felt like a little kid,” my friend Alison told us. “We pulled Georgie through the snow in a red sled, and when a bus drove by, the bus driver waved at us. Then a firetruck drove by, and all the firefighters waved at us. We saw cross-country skiers in the street, and we talked to everyone about what snow shovels they were using. It was the friendliest I’d ever seen the city.” I love when a collective event happens in New York because everyone immediately becomes best friends for the day.
Then Toby took a sofa nap and asked me to read next to him. He felt like a puppy at my feet. Plus, I am reading THE BEST BOOK YOU GUYS…
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser. It comes out on March 3rd, and I can already tell, it’s going to be HUGE. Hochhauser tells the story of Cinderella but from the stepmother’s point of view. Lady Tremaine is smart and thoughtful and hardworking; and since women have so little power and so few options, she’s desperately trying to help her daughters find secure marriages. Their household has been falling apart ever since her second husband died and left them in debt. Meanwhile, Elin (Cinderella) is twee and annoying and constantly quoting from a book about ladies’ comportment. I can’t stop thinking about it; it’s beautifully done and reminds me of Lauren Groff’s Matrix but with more family secrets.
Finally, for dinner, we made chicken fajitas, which were simple but flavorful. We had them with rice, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Have you made anything good lately? I’d love to hear. And just in case this all seems very rosy, not pictured, as always: sibling bickering, complaints that there’s nothing to dooooooooo, a kitchen leak, and some sadness. Because life is still life, even on a snow day.
Now please tell me: how was your weekend? And if you’re also horrified by what is happening in Minnesota, here are ways to help the brave people there (and this food pantry that makes deliveries), as well as how to help those fighting ICE in Maine. xoxo
P.S. More fun things, and a whole page of books we love.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
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: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
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Modify
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Alter
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Improve
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Tweak
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Refine
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.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
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:
To rise.
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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 T.
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…
STAND
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
Hurdle hints and answers for April 19, 2026
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.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
The edge.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRINK
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Moody.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
POUTY
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
America’s bird.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
EAGLE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A platform.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
FORUM
Final Hurdle hint
Cheapskate.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MISER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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