Technologies

Oxford’s New Word of the Year? It’s Designed to Bait, Debate and Irritate

Firstly, it’s not just one word. It’s also an unpleasant aspect of our digital life today.

In a move reflecting the darker side of the social-media era, Oxford University Press has named «rage bait» as its 2025 Word of the Year. (It’s actually two words, but don’t let that send you into a rage.) The phrase refers to online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage by being provocative, offensive or otherwise manipulative, with the explicit aim of boosting engagement, clicks or shares.

According to Oxford University Press, usage of rage bait has roughly tripled over the past year. In announcing the choice, the organization noted that this surge isn’t just a change in vocabulary. It points to a larger shift in how online platforms and content creators capture attention, often by exploiting emotional triggers rather than curiosity or honest interest.

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said that this trend marks a progression from earlier waves of click-driven sensationalism toward a more emotionally manipulative digital environment — one where outrage, not intrigue, is the currency that pays.
«Rage bait shines a light on the content purposefully engineered to spark outrage and drive clicks,» Grathwohl said. «And together, they form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted. These words don’t just define trends; they reveal how digital platforms are reshaping our thinking and behaviour.»

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2025’s other big words include ‘parasocial’ and ’67’

Rage bait isn’t the only word or phrase gaining recognition this year. Two other major dictionaries have picked their own Words of the Year, each illuminating a different facet of our cultural moment.

The Cambridge Dictionary named «parasocial» as its 2025 Word of the Year, capturing the growing phenomenon of one-sided relationships people form with celebrities, influencers, fictional characters — and now, increasingly, with AI personalities. The word reflects how many of us now treat virtual or distant figures as if they were friends, despite knowing that the connection is unreciprocated.
Dictionary.com selected «67» as its Word of the Year. Pronounced «six-seven,» this term is a slang expression that’s playful, ambiguous and rooted in meme culture. While 67 might not carry a dictionary-style definition, its rise points to how younger generations express attitudes of indifference, irony or insider-like humor in the digital age.

A quick look back at some past Words of the Year

To understand what 2025’s picks reveal about our time, it helps to glance at some past winners, which show how language shifts in response to social moods, technology and world events.

In 2024, Oxford’s Word of the Year was «brain rot,» a phrase meant to capture the mental fatigue, dissatisfaction, or dulling sensation people feel after endless scrolling through trivial or low-quality online content.
2023’s winner was «rizz,» a slang term for charisma or personal charm.
In 2022, the winning phrase was «goblin mode,» reflecting a mood of laziness, self-indulgence, or rejecting social expectations — especially as the world grappled with pandemic aftershocks.

Earlier years show a variety of themes. 2019’s climate emergency stood out as concern over global warming surged. In 2016, «post-truth» became the word, capturing a time of political upheaval, misinformation and shifting trust in facts.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Jan. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 14.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s not too tough, but 8-Across stumped me, so I had to pass on that and fill in the Down answers to solve it. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Abruptly stop texting
Answer: GHOST

6A clue: Shaving kit item
Answer: RAZOR

7A clue: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress
Answer: ANORA

8A clue: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this
Answer: MONEY

9A clue: Shape of a round chart
Answer: PIE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Dad’s dad, informally
Answer: GRAMP

2D clue: Capital of Vietnam
Answer: HANOI

3D clue: ___ layer, part of Earth’s atmosphere
Answer: OZONE

4D clue: How you might wake up after sleeping funny
Answer: SORE

5D clue: Cafeteria food carrier
Answer: TRAY

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Technologies

Google Could Revive Last Year’s Bright Pink Color for the Pixel 10a

Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a is expected to launch in February with some new colors, including one popular ask.

The Google Pixel 9a is one of Google’s most affordable Pixel phones, and it includes one of the most frequently requested colors — bright pink. With the Google Pixel 10a rumored to launch in February, we’re already getting a hint at the colors the new model will come in.

According to Roland Quandt, a regular mobile leaker on Bluesky, the Google Pixel is expected to be offered in obsidian (black), berry (pink), fog (light gray), and lavender colors. However, it’s the berry hue that is intriguing customers.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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«I always love to see phones come in vibrant colors, and it’s especially welcome in more budget-friendly options,» said Abrar Al-Heeti, senior technology reporter at CNET. «Yes, we tend to slap a case on our phones anyway, but just knowing your phone touts a bold color can make it feel like more of a statement piece, rather than a bland piece of tech.»

Pink is one of the most requested color options for the Pixel phones. CNET sister site Mashable loved the color when it debuted on the Pixel 9. Phone rivals like Apple and Samsung are usually expected to offer a pink color option in their flagship and midrange phone lineups, so it’s not surprising to see the berry color on the Pixel 10a.

«I’ll say that Google loves having Pixel phones in pink,» said Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor. «The Pixel 9 and 9a come in peony (a bright, bold pink) and the 9 Pro in rose quartz (a more muted pink). The Pixel 10 series lacks any pinkish hues.»

Quandt also says that the Pixel 10a will have 128GB and 256GB storage models, and will launch in mid-February. That’s earlier than expected compared with the Pixel 9a, which was revealed in mid-March 2025 for a launch on April 10. In terms of specifications, we expect the Pixel 10a to be a modest upgrade compared with previous generations. According to leaks, the Pixel 10 is unlikely to feature a newer Tensor G5 chip, and it’s likely to retain the same overall design as the Pixel 9a.

One leaker, Mystic Leaks on Telegram, expressed disappointment and revealed additional specs, including the absence of a telephoto lens, UFS 3.1 storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 2,000-nit display and no Magic Cue, which is Google’s AI feature for the Pixel 10.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 14, #948

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 14 #948.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The blue category, not the purple one today, expects you to find hidden words in four of the words given in the grid. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: That’s not going anywhere.

Green group hint: End user or customer.

Blue group hint: Ask a meteorologist.

Purple group hint: Not noisy.