Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for June 18, #472

Here are hints and answers for the springtime-themed NYT Strands puzzle No. 472 for June 18.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a tough one. Some of the answers are quite long and tough to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Down time

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: The blue character in «Inside Out.»

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BONE, CONE, LEAN, BEEN, BEAD, DALE, DALES, DEAL, RAGE, RAGED, RAGES, STEM, METS, LANE, GOLD, GONE, LEAD

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BLUE, TEARY, GLOOMY, DOLEFUL, WOEBEGONE, MELANCHOLY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is SADNESS. To find it, look for the S that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind across.

Technologies

JetBlue Is Slashing Flights and Cutting Costs. Here’s What Travelers Should Know

JetBlue is pulling back on routes to several US states and major metropolitan cities.

JetBlue is tightening its belt: The airline on Tuesday announced a round of cost-cutting measures, including fewer routes and reduced spending.

JetBlue says it’s scaling back its flight schedule and reducing services to several US states and major metropolitan airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport. That means fewer options for travelers in and out of cities where the airline had been aggressively expanding, such as New York, Boston and Fort Lauderdale. The company is also trimming overhead by combining some leadership roles and slowing hiring as it looks to get back on firmer financial ground after a tough year marked by higher costs and a failed merger with Spirit Airlines.

Just last month, JetBlue announced a partnership with United Airlines to strengthen its position in the market, enhance its loyalty program for travelers and expand its flight network. This is just one more step in JetBlue’s plan to stay competitive as domestic travel slows down.

JetBlue didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Southwest Airlines Says You Can’t Use Portable Chargers Inside Your Bags

What this means for travelers

So, what does this mean for you? If you’ve booked a JetBlue flight for later this year, or were hoping to score a last-minute deal, you may find fewer seats available or face longer layovers caused by reduced route frequency. JetBlue’s popular Mint business class and no-frills Blue Basic fares aren’t going away completely but travelers could see tighter availability and less flexibility as the airline prioritizes its most profitable routes.

Since launching its JetForward turnaround plan last year, JetBlue has pulled out of 15 cities and cut more than 50 routes. Among the notable exits are major markets such as Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá, Colombia, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

JetBlue cut numerous routes in 2024, such as Los Angeles to Miami and New York/JFK to Detroit but it has also pulled out of the following airports entirely:

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) in California
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) in Florida
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in Minnesota
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina
San Antonio International Airport (SAT) in Texas
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP) in Guadeloupe, France

What JetBlue will cut next is not yet clear.

The company says it’s making these changes to stay competitive long term. But for everyday travelers, it could mean fewer nonstop options and a trickier time finding budget-friendly flights, especially during holiday seasons and peak travel windows.

If you’re flying JetBlue in the coming months, double-check your reservation details and keep an eye out for schedule changes. And if your go-to airport is one JetBlue is pulling back from, it may be time to start comparison shopping with other carriers.

For more travel-related articles, explore these travel essentials you need for every vacation and then take a look at this travel checklist. You should also read about the new Real ID requirement for getting through airport security.

Technologies

Prime Day 2025: Early Deals Have Already Started, but Could Tariffs Cut Into the Savings?

Amazon’s big annual sale for Prime members is July 8-11, but price hikes on imported goods could hit during the event. Where to look for deals now.

Amazon Prime Day, the mega retailer’s summer shopping event, is set for July 8-11 this year — doubling in size from two to four days. Exclusive to Prime members, it offers some of the best Amazon deals of the year, but looming price hikes due to tariffs could impact how much of a savings shoppers can expect.

Amazon launched Prime Day back in 2015, and savvy shoppers have eagerly anticipated this annual event ever since. But this year, the event could overlap with the resumption of President Donald Trump’s «reciprocal tariffs.» He announced the tariffs in April, quickly putting them on a 90-day pause. But the expiration date is July 9 — right in the middle of the Prime Day sales event.

Countries could face double-digit tariff hikes if they don’t reach an agreement by the deadline. Companies would likely pass through additional costs associated with tariffs to consumers — meaning we could pay more for everything, including electronics.

Most imported products for Prime Day will likely already be in the US and shouldn’t be subject to newly imposed tariffs, but there could be exceptions, according to Timothy Meyer, Richard Allen/Cravath distinguished professor in international business law, Duke University School of Law.

«If for some reason the goods have not already been imported, then they could be affected by any tariffs,» he said. «Sellers could not pass on the price of the tariffs after the consumer has purchased the goods, but it is possible that sellers might raise their prices during the sale.»

Our CNET Deals team will track all the best deals throughout the event so you can score the lowest prices. This will help you navigate the sale and stay ahead of any tariff-based price rises.

Read more: Don’t Wait: Score an Instant $200 Amazon Gift Card Ahead of Prime Day With This Card

How could tariffs affect Prime Day deals?

Prices on everything, including appliances, are expected to rise as a result of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which he originally announced on April 2. He quickly followed with a 90-day pause for most of the tariffs, leaving a 10% baseline tariff for goods imported from most countries. Trump recently announced a trade deal with China that put a total tariff of 55% in place — although 25% of that was put in place during his first term.

The administration has since said that it’s in the process of making deals with many countries to ease tariffs, but the deadline is quickly approaching and could impact some products during the Prime Day shopping event. If retailers pass along the full cost of the tariffs, it could mean we’ll be paying a lot more for products manufactured in other countries.

After launching the original Prime Day in 2015, the retailer has expanded the number of its sales events, including a Big Spring Sale in March and Prime Big Deal Days in October. Last year’s Prime Day sale took place July 16-17.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for June 18, #268

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 268, for June 18.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a killer purple category. How good are you at anagrams? Think baseball team names, and see where you can go with that. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Not North

Green group hint: College competitions

Blue group hint: Soccer stars

Purple group hint: Mixed-up baseball teams