Technologies

New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

Did you get INBOX? What about EDIFY? Plus: The New York Times has a sort of Spotify Wrapped for Wordle players.

Did Wordle keep you busy this year? Some words are more challenging than others. INBOX — the Wordle answer on April 19 — was this year’s most difficult Wordle puzzle in the US, according to the language learning platform Preply, which connects learners with tutors.

Preply identified the trickiest word by analyzing Google search interest for «Wordle hint» across every puzzle from January to November. It selected the toughest puzzles by examining which ones «produced the largest relative spikes nationally and within each US state.»

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Preply listed nine other words that ranked as the hardest in 2025. (It looks like Aug. 13-14 was a particularly stressful period for puzzlers.) Here’s a look at the top 10.

INBOX (April 19)
EDIFY (June 6)
KEFIR (Aug. 13)
KNELL (Aug. 14)
LORIS (July 18)
QUOTA (March 30)
HAZEL (April 7)
IDIOM (May 30)
IMBUE (Aug. 8)
GIZMO (Nov. 11)

EDIFY — which means to instruct or improve — and KEFIR — a fermented milk drink — may have led to a lot of Google searches.

But not all Wordles were brain-busters. Preply found the easiest puzzles to solve in 2025 were CHAIR (Sept. 11), BLUNT (Sept. 24) and SPORT (May 27).

Spotify Wrapped for Wordle, kind of

You’re familiar with Spotify Wrapped, the music service’s annual roundup of each user’s year in Spotify songs. There’s a similar yearly recap for YouTube videos. Now, The New York Times is getting in on the trend with a year-end recap for players of Wordle and its other games, like Connections.

For Wordle, the Times’ Year in Games roundup shows how many days you solved a puzzle, what time of day you did most of your solving, which Wordle you solved the fastest, how many guesses it took you on average and your most common starter word.

For Connections, it shows how many times you solved it without any mistakes, what the year’s trickiest puzzle was (hint: that one with all the symbols) and which color category you usually solved first.

For Spelling Bee, it shows how many words you found all year, what your longest found word was, how many times you used all seven letters to find a pangram and how many times you reached Genius level.

For Strands, it shows how many times you solved it without any hints and what your longest streak was.

The roundup also shows what your most-played game was this year. (Connections for the win!) As with other similar roundups, you’re able to share your result summary if you want.

For more coverage on puzzles, you can check out CNET’s daily answers and hints for Wordle, The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands. And you can view our guide to the most popular letters to make your starter word as strong as possible.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Why Travelers Are Switching to Verum E-SIM This Summer

Summer Travel, Freedom, and Seamless Connectivity: Why Verum E-SIM Is Becoming the New Standard for Travelers

Summer is the peak season for vacations, long-distance trips, and new experiences. Millions of people travel abroad, explore new countries, plan adventures, and try to stay connected with family, work, and social media. And in the middle of all this comes a familiar question: how do you stay online without expensive roaming or the hassle of buying local SIM cards?

The answer is already here — eSIM.

Why eSIM Is So Convenient

eSIM (embedded SIM) is a built-in digital SIM card that lets you activate mobile internet without a physical card. All you need is an app — choose a plan and connect in just a couple of minutes.

No more:

* searching for local SIM cards at airports
* paying expensive roaming fees
* swapping physical SIMs every time you travel

Now your internet travels with you.

Internet in 150+ Countries

Modern eSIM solutions provide coverage in 150+ countries worldwide, helping tourists, freelancers, and business travelers stay connected almost anywhere on the planet.

Among the services offering these capabilities:

Verum E-SIM — https://esim.verum.im
World E-SIM — https://worldesim.me
USA E-SIM — https://usa.esim.verum.im
Euro E-SIM — https://euro.esim.verum.im
Canada E-SIM — https://canada.esim.verum.im
Balkan E-SIM — https://balkan.esim.verum.im
Ukraine E-SIM — https://ukraine.esim.verum.im
London E-SIM — https://london.esim.verum.im
E-SIM Africa — https://africa.esim.verum.im