Daily NYT Crossword Hints and Solutions for June 12, 2024
If you need solutions for Strands on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, continue reading as I'll offer some hints, tips, and eventually, the answer to the puzzle that revolves around the topic "By the dozen."
Here's a subtle hint at these day's Strands answers:
What's a popular treat often sold in groups of twelve or thirteen (a baker's dozen)?
Now, here's a hint about the theme words in today's Strands:
All of these are styles or varieties of the round pastry described above.
WARNING: This section contains the answers to today's Strands puzzle.
Now, let's reveal the answers to today's Strands puzzle.
What is the spangram in today's Strands?
Today's spangram is DOUGHNUTS.
What are the theme words in today's Strands?
The theme words are:
- CIDER
- HOLE
- FROSTED
- JELLY
- GLAZED
- CAKE
- POWDERED
When the puzzle is solved, the board will look like this:
Credit: Strands/NYT
How I solved today's Strands
Initially, I thought of objects that usually come in multiples of twelve. However, there were no matches for roses, eggs, or bagels.
My next course of action was wandering around the game board aimlessly, looking for something that would lead me to the theme words. And, I found the word HOLE. 🔵
Next to that word was CIDER. 🔵 (I'm still uncertain about the theme.)
Credit: Strands/NYT
In the bottom left corner, I found the word GLAZED. 🔵
Next, I noticed the spangram: DOUGHNUTS.
Below that was CAKE. 🔵
Below that was POWDERED. 🔵
On the same row as the spangram, I saw JELLY. 🔵
The final word was FROSTED. 🔵
How to play Strands
If you want to try Strands, you can find it on the New York Times website. Right now, the game is still in beta, so you won't find it in the NYT Games app.
When you start the game, you'll see a board full of letters. There will also be a clue referred to as the "theme," which could be something like "Better with age." Your objective is to find words within this board that relate to the theme.
A mix between a word search and a crossword
There's a crucial word in the game called the "spangram," which directly connects to the theme. (For instance, the spangram for the puzzle with the theme "Better with age" is FERMENTED, because fermented products often improve with time.) To identify the spangram, it will be highlighted in yellow. Finding the spangram helps make the rest of the puzzle much smoother.
Words in Strands can move in various directions, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. You can only use each letter once. There's only one correct answer. When you discover a word on the board, it will be highlighted in blue.
If you're having trouble solving the puzzle, you can submit any non-themed words (assuming they have at least four letters) to get credit for one hint. If you use three non-themed words, the "Hint" button will become active; if you click it, the letters of one theme word will be highlighted for you. You'll need to connect these highlighted letters correctly to form one of the theme words. If there's already a hint, using another hint will show the correct letter arrangement for one of the remaining theme words.
The way to win Strands
Unlike different games such as Connections and Wordle, you can't fail Strands. When you submit responses, either you'll discover one of the words, receive a hint, or you'll witness a shake effect, indicating that the input is too short or invalid. There's no limit to the number of guesses you can use, and there's no time restriction.
You'll win when you've used all the letters on the board, signifying that you've identified the spangram and all the theme words. As with other NYT games, after solving the puzzle, you'll see a shareable card that shows how you performed that day. These are represented by blue dots 🔵 (indicating theme words you found), a yellow dot ⚡️ (designating the spangram), and a lightbulb 💡 (signifying words you received a hint for).
To play Strands, go to the New York Times website and search for the game. Start a new puzzle, then use the letters on the board and the theme clue to identify the spangram and the theme words. If you become stumped, you can use hints to guide you. There's no penalty for using hints, so use them when necessary to make progress. Your goal is to find all the words, which will be shown in blue when you solve them.
Credit: Strands/NYT
