Today's New York Times Strands Suggestions (and Solution) for Monday, September 9, 2024 (paraphrased)
If you're searching for tips and solutions for Strands on September 9, 2024, you've come to the right place! I'll provide some clues, tips, and ultimately, the solution to the puzzle with the theme "Let's go outside!"
To easily access these Strands hints daily, save this page. You can also find past hints here, in case you've missed any earlier puzzles.
First, let me give you some indirect hints for the Strands answers of the day.
Hint for the spangram in today’s Strands puzzle
Two words representing a sort of entertainment suitable for an outdoor barbecue, like backyard games.
Hint for the theme words in today’s Strands puzzle
These are all recreational activities described within the spangram, some requiring specific items like balls, some using beanbags, and others requiring shuttlecocks.
BEWARE: Spoilers follow for 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 LAWNGAMES.
What are the theme words in today’s Strands?
The theme words are: CORNHOLE, BOCCE, BADMINTON, HORSESHOES, CROQUET.
Here's the finished board:
Credit: Strands/NYT## How I solved today’s Strands
Today's theme looks quite straightforward, so perhaps it's outdoor equipment or garden games?
I saw the word BOCCE (similar to bocce ball) and it was a hit. 🔵
Credit: Strands/NYT
CORNHOLE is in the upper left. 🔵
In the upper right, I found the word QUEST, but it's not a theme word. It likely belongs to a larger word.
Ah, I see the spangram now: LAWNGAMES. 🟡
BADMINTON is at the bottom left. 🔵 (My personal top choice.)
HORSESHOES run up the right side of the spangram. 🔵
It turns out that the QU belongs to CROQUET. 🔵
How to play Strands
To play Strands, visit the New York Times website or use the NYT Games app. When you start, you'll see a game board with letters, along with a clue hinting at the board's theme. Your goal is to identify hidden words on the board that match the puzzle's theme.
Strands is a game that combines a crossword and a word search
The most crucial word to find is the "spangram," which clearly shows the puzzle's theme. The spangram will span the whole board, either left to right or top to bottom. Upon finding the spangram, it will be highlighted in yellow. Solving the spangram normally makes it easier to solve the rest of the puzzle.
In Strands, words can move any direction (up, down, left, right, or diagonally). You'll only use each letter once, and there's only one correct solution. When you correctly identify one of the puzzle's words, it will be highlighted in blue.
If you're having trouble solving the puzzle, submit any non-theme words (four letters or more) to earn a hint. If you submit three non-theme words, the "Hint" button will become active; press it, and all the letters in one theme word will be highlighted for you. You'll still need to arrange these highlighted letters in the correct order to solve the theme word. If a hint is already on the board and you use another hint before solving the word, the word's letters will be revealed.
Winning Strands
Unlike Connection and Wordle, you can't fail at Strands. By submitting guesses, you will either correctly identify an answer, earn credit towards a hint, or watch as the word shakes back and forth, indicating that the word is too short or invalid. You won't run out of guesses, and there's no time limit.
You win when you have used all the letters on the board, which means you've identified the spangram and all the theme words. Like other NYT games, when solving the puzzle, you'll see a shareable card displaying your performance that day: blue dots 🔵 signify theme words found, the yellow dot 🟡 signifies the spangram found, and a lightbulb 💡 represents words for which you received a hint.
After finding the past hints, you might want to engage in some outdoor activities this evening, as they often align well with the themes. For instance, the entertainment suggestions from previous Strands puzzles could include games like lawn bowling or pickup soccer.
Today's theme words, including cornhole, bocce, badminton, horseshoes, and croquet, are perfect for an afternoon of outdoor entertainment on a strand, such as a beach or a park.
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