If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for August 4, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is harder; I got it in five. Beware, there are spoilers below for August 4, Wordle #1,142! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Four of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. The other is uncommon.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

As a verb, to reduce or drop.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with L. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with R. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is LOWER.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, then guessed GAMED and PLANK to narrow down the consonants that appeared in possible solutions. This left LOVER and LOWER as the best answers, and I guessed the latter.

Wordle 1,142 5/6

🟨⬛⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛🟩⬛
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was “a tool you’ll find in both the kitchen and the bathroom” and the answer contained four common letters and one pretty common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was SCALE.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for August 3, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in three. Beware, there are spoilers below for August 3, Wordle #1,141! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Four of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. The other is also pretty common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

A tool you’ll find in both the kitchen and the bathroom.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with S. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with E. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is SCALE.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE followed by LIGHT, which eliminated common consonants found in possible solutions. SCALE was the best fit.

Wordle 1,141 3/6

⬛🟨⬛🟨🟩
🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was harder. The hint was “a tiny piece that’s been peeled away” and the answer contained three common letters, one somewhat common letter, and one less common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was FLAKE.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

There’s no reason adults can’t watch (and love) movies intended to entertain children, but it’s almost inevitable that they will lose a little bit of their magic when not viewed through young eyes—sometimes a sense of childlike wonder is that special sauce that takes a film from good to great. Here are 25 movies every kid should see before they turn 13 (and threaten to mature into tiny adults).

---

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Why put this Pixar sequel on the list and leave out the original? Somehow, when its creators flipped the script to allow space-age action figure Buzz Lightyear to come to the rescue of cowboy Woody, the story seemed fresher. The animation is also better, and the script is funnier. By the time the movie arrives at the montage showing one toy’s heartbreaking backstory, even adults will feel like they gave a computer-generated character a soul—but the kids will be running off to their rooms to hug their under-used toys.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

Chicken Run (2000)

Aardman Animation was best known for crafting short, clever films featuring its beloved characters Wallace and Gromit until it teamed up with Dreamworks Animation for this tale about a team of hens who hatch a plan to escape from their farm. If your television screen is sharp enough, you can literally see the animators’ fingerprints all over this modern classic’s plasticine characters, a sign of the deep love of their craft. Your kids will be too busy rooting for the hens to escape to notice.

Where to stream: Digital rental

---

The Circus (1928)

Getting young kids to appreciate anything without color or dialogue can be a struggle. However, this silent masterpiece from Charlie Chaplin is packed with so many pratfalls and other imaginative comedic scenes they won’t even mind that no one is talking out loud. It’s a great way to engender their curiosity about older films at an early age.

Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel, Digital rental

---

The Lion King (1994)

This animated musical tale of Shakespearean proportions has been adapted for nearly every medium, yet its message has always been the same whether seeing it on stage or screen: “Remember who you are.” It’s a great idea for kids to absorb.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

Shrek (2001)

Dreamworks flipped Disney’s fairy tale script by making a grotesque and flatulent ogre the story’s hero. The jokes made at the expense of the Mouse House will probably go over a younger viewers head, but the story’s message about self-esteem will stick with them. 

Where to stream: Netflix, Digital rental

---

The Bear (1989)

This nature film about an orphan grizzly cub and the Kodiak bear that “adopted” boasts fantastic wildlife footage that will delight younger viewers, and a story about conservation, mercy, and family will resonate with all ages. 

Where to stream: Prime Video, YouTube, Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Peacock, Digital rental

---

Mary Poppins (1964)

This live-action/animated hybrid about a nanny who changes the lives of a British family still delights kids of all ages 50 years later with its (still) eye-popping visual effects and catchy songs.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Dreamworks again flips the script of the typical fantasy story about flying fire-breathers with a visually stunning adventure about a young Viking that befriends a dragon as his village wages a war against the species. Knowing no one will believe him, including his disapproving father, he and his friends must show the villagers humans can co-exist with the species. Any child who has ever asked their parents “why” can relate to its message of questioning the norm.

Where to stream: Max, Digital rental

---

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

What child hasn’t wanted to escape their black-and-white existence and experience somewhere over the rainbow? For decades, young viewers have been fascinated by her journey through the merry old land of Oz, and everything from the story, songs, and special effects still amazingly holds up. 

Where to stream: Max, Digital rental

---

Inside Out (2014)

Mothers and fathers often raise their kids under the misguided belief that their spawn should always be joyful. As this movie so eloquently (and humorously) points out, it’s perfectly normal for children to feel sadness, disgust, anger, and fear. That’s why Inside Out works so well with younger audiences and makes their parents sob uncontrollably.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

The Land Before Time (1988)

Animator Don Bluth left Disney because he was frustrated that the company was cutting corners. He then created some of cinema’s most beautifully animated films, including The Secret of NIMH and An American Tail. However, his second collaboration with Steven Spielberg, The Land Before Time, was where he mastered the art of telling an emotionally complex story that wasn’t watered down for kids, an aspect they’ll certainly appreciate. Ironically, this film spawned a litter of direct-to-video sequels that cut corners, all without Bluth’s involvement.

Where to stream: Netflix, Digital rental

---

The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Muppet Show was one of the highest-rated programs in the world when Jim Henson decided to bring his characters to the big screen. It was a brilliant idea on his part to pack this film with plenty of wit and whimsy for kids and make it something adults could enjoy. The result is an outrageous but heartfelt romp about friendship, virtue, and inclusiveness.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Disney created quite the role model for younger viewers in the strong, intelligent, and independent Belle, a character who speaks her mind and ignores the persistent advancements of the hunkiest man in her French provincial village. Instead, she falls for the sensitive but cursed prince, who shows her there’s more to him than his temper and shocking appearance. 

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Chances are you haven’t seen Spielberg’s classic family film in some time, so you may not realize it was purposely photographed from a child’s perspective. It’s a brilliant trick to draw younger viewers into this story of a boy who becomes friends with an alien. It allows them to become part of Elliott’s hilarious and harrowing experiences.

Where to stream: Digital rental

---

The Sandlot (1993)

Contrary to what Field of Dreams and other heady baseball flicks would have you believe, baseball is about having fun. That’s what makes this ’90s classic about a group of friends trying to get back a signed Babe Ruth baseball from their neighbor’s backyard so great: It perfectly captures how kids feel when they’ve found their tribe.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

The Lego Movie (2014)

It could be because Lego sets from popular film franchises are unbelievably expensive, but it’s easy to love a film that features a hero who builds a double-decker couch to save his friends rather than escaping in a superhero’s vehicle. While that moment may resonate more with parents, kids will love this silly but innovative ode to creativity, especially its meta ending.

Where to stream: Netflix, Digital rental

---

Wall-E (2008)

There is little optimism in post-apocalyptic movies, but the robot protagonist in this Pixar movie has plenty of hope to go around. His attitude has much to do with Eve, another machine that holds the key to starting life again on an Earth that has become a literal landfill. There isn’t a lot of dialogue in this film, which makes it perfect for younger kids, and it doesn’t beat viewers over the head with its environmental message. That may be why this film is part of the Criterion Collection.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

Home Alone (1990)

The film’s finale is a masterclass in physical comedy (every kid loves a good kick to the crotch), and it’s great to see a movie in which a protagonist under 10 behaves so responsibly without his parents.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

March of the Penguins (2005)

Kids will love this fascinating documentary about the taxing journey emperor penguins make to give their adorable-looking children the food they need to survive. 

Where to stream: Digital rental

---

Coco (2017)

Ironically, this movie about a child who learns about his family’s history during a Day of the Dead celebration might feel more intense for parents who’ve experienced loss than it does for younger viewers. It’s also a great film that shows kids the importance of family and tradition.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

---

The Iron Giant (1999)

In what is easily the best role of Vin Diesel’s career, the actor voices an alien robot who befriends a young kid named Hogarth during the height of the Cold War. Kids will get caught up in the playful relationship between Hogarth and the titular character, but it’s powerful story about violence, warfare, friendship, and what it truly means to be a good person will stick with them.

Where to stream: Paramount+ With Showtime, Digital rental

---

Spirited Away (2001)

Much of Pixar’s output is strongly influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, and this beautifully detailed anime about a young girl who works to free her parents from a witch’s spell is an excellent example. Wall-E shares its themes of consumerism and man’s conflict with nature, and its take on generational culture clashes was utilized in Turning Red. And like the latter film, it’s one of the few films made for a tween audience.

Where to stream: Max, Digital rental

---

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Even with all the dangers that lurk inside, what child wouldn’t want to tour Wonka’s chocolate factory? While the Oompa-Loompas can get a little preachy at times, rarely has a film captured the pure amazement of a child and the consequences that happen when adults corrupt their sense of wonder. 

Where to stream: Digital rental

---

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Someone finally made a comic-book movie for kids, and this one is even more imaginative, poignant, and relevant than its live-action counterparts. Take that, Deadpool.

Where to stream: Fubo, Digital rental

---

The Princess Bride (1987)

Most kids don’t like listening to their grandparents’ stories. That’s how this humorous film begins. But children quickly realize the fairy tales their elders tell are the best, which is why this endlessly quotable film has been shared with children for generations and has influenced everything from Shrek to Tangled.

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for August 2, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is harder; I got it in five. Beware, there are spoilers below for August 2, Wordle #1,140! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Three of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. One is somewhat common, and the other is less common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

A tiny piece that’s been peeled away.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with F. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with E. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is FLAKE.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, then guessed BLIMP and GLADE, narrowing down possible consonants. This left FLAKE as the solution.

Wordle 1,140 5/6

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟩
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩🟩⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was medium difficult. The hint was “this is found in a classroom and used by climbers” and the answer contained three common letters, one fairly common letter, and one less common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was CHALK.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

You can get these refurbished AirPods Pro 1st Gen on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $249). They have active noise-canceling and transparency modes—so you can either block out external noise or tune in to remain aware of your surroundings—and spatial audio where the music follows the movement of your head. The AirPods Pro have on-ear controls for switching between modes, controlling volume, and raising Siri, and they’re IPX4 sweat and water-resistant. They have 18 hours of talk or 24 hours of listening time with the MagSafe-compatible charging case. They also have a grade “A” refurbished rating—meaning they’re in near-mint condition with only light to zero amounts of scuffing—and come with a 30-day parts and labor warranty.

You can get these refurbished AirPods Pro 1st Gen on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $249), though prices can change at any time.

The movies and television shows below are the best of what’s coming to Hulu this month—according to me. Because I’m an expert at watching things.

Hulu’s prestige comedy-crime program Only Murders in the Building is returning for a fourth season with a “the gang goes to Hollywood” plot. There’s a rebooted version of Dance Moms premiering with all new moms and all new dances, and if you want to chill out and check out Lollapalooza, Hulu is streaming the whole concert.

Only Murders in the Building, season 4

How many murders can happen near the main characters of Only Murders in the Building before someone figures out that they’re serial killers? (Not really.) This series stars comedy greats Martin Short and Steve Martin and comedy good Selena Gomez as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, podcast hosts and amateur detectives. Season 4 finds the trio going to Hollywood where a movie about their podcast is in production.  

Starts streaming August 27.

Dance Moms: A New Era, season 1

I dislike children, stage parents, and overbearing coaches, so I’m not really in the target demographic for Dance Moms: A New Era, but people loved the original, so I’m not going to argue. The reboot introduces hard-charging dance coach Glo Hampton who wants to take her students to the prestigious dance school Studio Bleu. To do it, she’ll have to manage precocious children, scheming moms, and constant drama. Sounds great(?).

Starts streaming August 7. 

Lollapalooza Live Stream

If you can’t make it Chicago for Lollapalooza this year, Hulu is streaming the festival live from August 1 to August 4. This year, the annual rock extravaganza will feature performances from Chappell Roan, Hozier, Reneé Rapp, SZA, Stray Kids, The Killers, Metro Boomin’, Megan Thee Stallion, and about a thousand other artists and bands spanning any genre and style you could think of. 

Starts streaming August 1

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

As a comedian, Adam Sandler is love-him-or-hate-him, but as a serious actor, he’s undeniably great, especially when paired with director Paul Thomas Anderson. Punch-Drunk Love was Sandler’s first heavy role, and he shocked the world by turning in a nuanced, restrained, heartbreaking performance as Barry Egan, a lonely sad-sack who just barely manages to contain the violence inside him.  

Starts streaming August 1. 

Suitable Flesh (2023)

Director Joe Lynch delivers a Lovecraftian horror flick that’s also sexy—not a common combination. Heather Graham turns in a fearless performance as Elizabeth Derby, a psychiatrist whose devotion to reason is about to be abolished by the supernatural, specifically, a patient who complains that his father is trying to steal his body. It all hurtles toward a delightedly ooey and gooey finale that Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) fans will love. 

Starts streaming August 3. 

Eddie Pepitone: For the Masses (2020)

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of stand-up comic Eddie Pepitone. He’s not a huge name or anything, but his abrasive, original, old-hipster style of standup comedy and his completely nihilistic outlook is a breath of fresh air. “You’re not gonna hear a lot of shit about dating, and how fun everything is. It’s not fun. We’re in end times,” Pepitone proclaims, which really sets the tone for this comedy show.

Starts streaming August 9.

Killer Lies: Chasing a True-Crime Con Man

This National Geographic-produced series tells the twisted true tale of self-proclaimed serial killer expert, Stéphane Bourgoin. Bourgoin built an international reputation and a large fanbase for his true crime books that describe his tragic life and his encounters with evil. But his fans became suspicious about some of the details in his stories, and started pulling the threads, revealing a complex web of lies. Director Ben Selkow goes beyond the story of a writer who lies all the time to examine the larger context of true crime culture.

Starts streaming August 29. 

Last week’s picks

Futurama, season 12

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen’s iconic sci-fi cartoon Futurama is back this month for a 12th season, with 10 new episodes coming. Fry, Bender, Leela, and everyone else will be back to discover the secret of Bender’s ancestors, learn the story behind coffee, and make sardonic jokes about the present even though it takes place in the year 3,000 or so. If you’ve never seen Futurama, you’ll have nearly all month to catch up on the previous 12 seasons—they’re also available on Hulu.

Starts streaming July 29.

Sharkfest

You know why they don’t call it “Shark Week” anymore? Because it’s expanded to an entire damn month. Hulu will feature a ton of streamable specials in July concerning Mankind’s underwater enemies, including Attack of the Red Sea Sharks, Baby Sharks in the City, Shark Attack 360, Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie, Shark vs. Ross Edgley, Sharks Gone Viral, Supersized Sharks, and When Will We Finally Kill all these Goddamn Sharks? (I made that last one up).

Starts streaming July 1.

Sasha Reid and the Midnight Order

If you’re a true crime fan, do not miss Sasha Reid and the Midnight Order. Reid is a psychologist with a singular obsession: catching killers. So she recruited a cadre of women that share her passion from various disciplines and backgrounds, dubbed them “The Midnight Order,” and started tracking down criminals. The Midnight Order works outside the system and uses cutting-edge data skills and forensic knowledge to heat up cold cases—like Batman, but not fake. This series takes viewers inside their most intriguing investigations and introduces us to the women who have made Justice their profession.

Starts streaming July 10.

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer

In 1978, psychiatric nurse Ann Burgess received a call that would change her life. It was the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, and they wanted her help digging into the minds of serial killers. Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer explores this unsung woman who helped create criminal profiling as well as digging into the details of the killers who informed Burgess’s work including infamous criminals like Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy, as well as lesser-known monsters like the Ski Mask Rapist.

Starts streaming July 11.

Hit-Monkey, season 2

The hero of Hit-Monkey is a Japanese snow monkey who teams up with the ghost of an American assassin to become the “killer of killers” and take out the most fearsome assassins in Japan. Season 2 finds the strange duo in New York trying to escape their shadowy existences, but it’s not easy to give up that kind of life. Hit-Monkey is based on a Marvel comic, and the first season of the animated action show earned rave reviews from both critics and fans, so if you like heroes, action, cartoons, or just things that are awesome, check this one out.

Starts streaming July 15.

Deer: elegant, beautiful, a sign of nature right outside your door, and the bane of many a gardener’s existence. No tulip is safe from their chomping maws…but there are some flowering plants that are more deer-resistant than others. Let’s take a tour of some of the prettiest flowers on the Rutgers list of plants that are “rarely damaged” by deer, along with their ideal growing conditions.