Looking for yesterday’s answers? Stop here. This is for Today. Specifically June 27, Puzzle #846.
If you are drowning in crossword fatigue, this guide covers Strands, Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Connections. The main event today, however, is Strands. I thought the theme was vague. Confusing, even. But once a couple of clues clicked it became simple. The hard part is untangling the words, not figuring out what you’re looking for.
The rules? Simple enough. I won’t waste space repeating them since you can read about those in other posts. If you just want to check your other daily puzzles, head over to the CNET hints page. It’s a hub. We have everything there.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Touggest Puzzles So Far
Hints and Clues
The theme for today is Suite re-lease.
Cryptic? Yes. Helpful? Barely. Here is a better hint: Home, sweet home. Think about where people live. Not where they die. Living spaces.
If you are stuck and need the in-game hint system to trigger, you need three words. They must be at least four letters long. Once you find those three, Strands unlocks the theme word. I used these words to get past the blocker. You don’t have to use mine. Just find any valid four-letter words.
PART
PARTS
CART
CARL
TALE
LIFE
PALE
CARLS
Does it matter which ones? No. The system doesn’t care if you find ‘CARL’ or ‘PART’. It just cares that you found words.
The Answers
You want to solve the whole grid. Every letter. The theme ties everything together. You have the standard words and one long word called a spangram. The spangram spans the board. Side to side.
Here are the non-spangram answers. These fit into the theme of dwelling spaces:
FLAT
LOFT
CONDO
STUDIO
PENTHOUSE
EFFICIENCY
I used to think there were always eight theme words. I was wrong. The number varies. Today is six. Six words. Plus the spangram. When you connect them all every square is filled. No loose ends.
The Spangram
It’s APARTMENTS.
Big word. Fits the bill perfectly. Start at the A. Look far left. Count four letters down. Then wind across the board like a snake looking for prey. It connects the whole board.
Hardest Strands Ever
Some themes hit harder than others. Why? Lack of vocabulary. Lack of life experience. Or maybe just bad puzzle design. Here are the three toughest categories I have encountered.
You have to speak like a person from the late 90s. Did you use this language back then? Probably not.
* Toughest word: PHAT
Whales. Big water beasts. If you are not a scientist, this is annoying.
* Toughest word: BALEEN (or RIGHT)
Why? More sea stuff. Off the hook. It helps if you know your fish.
* Toughest word: BIGEYE (or SKIPJACK)
Sorry about the ocean obsession.
What do you do when you can’t remember what ‘phat’ meant in 1997?
