Today's New York Times Puzzle Solutions and Clues for Sunday, August 18, 2024 (Paraphrased)
If you're seeking solutions for Strands on August 18, 2024, with the theme "What do you make of this?", check out this guide. I'll provide some hints, reveal the spangram, and disclose the answers.
To conveniently access daily Strands hints, just save this page for future reference. You can also explore previous hints here.
Below, you'll find cryptic clues for today's Strands answers. Further down, you'll see the spangram and the answers. Take only the hints you need, scrolling slowly.
Hint for the spangram in today’s Strands puzzle
The stage in school where an artistic child typically flourishes.
Hint for the theme words in today’s Strands puzzle
All materials required to create a landscape or portrait.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for today’s Strands puzzle!
We're providing the answers to today’s Strands puzzle:
What is the spangram in today’s Strands?
Today's spangram is ARTCLASS.
What are the theme words in today’s Strands?
The theme words today are: CANVAS, MOLD, EASEL, PAINT, PALETTE, BRUSH, CHARCOAL.
When solved, the game board will look like this:
Credit: Strands/NYT## Solving today’s Strands
I wasn't sure what type of words to begin searching for. Words related to creation? Questions or pondering? I had no idea.
I found the word BATCH, but it was not a theme word. SCAN, SEAL, COAT, LATERAL, SATIN, LOCATE, RUSH, DOTE, and SPAT are additional non-theme words. Time for a hint, I guess. 💡
MOLD, huh? 🔵
I almost completed the word "pattern" (all I got was PATTER), and that was quite discouraging. I was assuming the words would relate to replication or manufacturing (pattern, template, etc.), but that idea doesn't seem feasible.
Credit: Strands/NYT
OK, one last hint. 💡
BRUSH. 🔵 That doesn't help at all. Am I overlooking something obvious?
I spotted CHARCOAL in the bottom right corner. 🔵 Words connected to... blacksmithing?
PATINA is another non-theme word.
EASEL, in the upper right corner, is another hit. 🔵 Ah, it's art-related words, maybe?
Canvas is in the upper left corner. 🔵 Wow, I've been experiencing lots of brain farts today.
The spangram is ARTCLASS. 🟡
Paint finishes the left side. 🔵
Lastly, PALETTE. 🔵
Playing Strands
You can play Strands on the New York Times website or in the NYT Games app.
When you start playing, you'll see a game board with random letters, accompanied by a clue hinting at the board's theme ("Better with age," for example). Your mission is to uncover the hidden words related to the puzzle's theme based on the clue.
Crossword and Word Search Hybrid
The most crucial word to locate is the "spangram," which explicitly states the puzzle's theme (e.g., "FERMENTED" for a "Better with age" problem). The spangram covers the entire game board, either horizontally or vertically (hence the name). Discovering the spangram often simplifies the rest of the puzzle.
In Strands, words can move any direction (up, down, left, right, or diagonally). There is only one correct solution. When you correctly identify a puzzle answer (e.g., KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI), it will be highlighted in blue.
If you're having trouble solving the puzzle, you can submit non-theme words that are four letters or longer to earn hint credit. Three non-theme words will enable the "Hint" button. Clicking this will highlight the letters in one of the theme words, but you'll still need to arrange these highlighted letters correctly to complete a theme word. If a hint has already been used and you submit another hint before solving that word, the word's letter order will automatically reveal.
You triumph when you've properly utilized every letter on the game board, effectively decoding the jumble and identifying the spangram along with all theme words. Similar to other NYT puzzles, upon resolving the conundrum, you'll see a shareable card displaying your performance for the day. Blue dots 🔵 denote theme words you've uncovered, a yellow dot 🟡 signifies the discovery of the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 signifies words where you received a helpful nudge.
To further immerse yourself in the world of entertainment, save this page for future Strands hints today. You can also engage with the suggested theme words such as CANVAS, MOLD, EASEL, PAINT, PALETTE, BRUSH, and CHARCOAL, which can enhance your artistic skills.
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