The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for October 28, 2023 (#604) proved challenging, requiring players to uncover themed words hidden within a letter grid. This guide provides hints and the complete solution for those seeking assistance.
Understanding the Puzzle
Strands is a word-search puzzle where players identify words of four or more letters. As players discover words, the game reveals theme-related hints. The ultimate goal is to find all theme words, including a “spangram” – a single word that spans the entire grid, utilizing every letter.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The theme for today’s Strands is “The write stuff.” This suggests words associated with writing tools or materials. If you’re stuck, focus on terms related to pencils, pens, or writing surfaces.
Additional clue: Think beyond just pens… the answer involves the materials used in writing.
Solution Walkthrough
To unlock the in-game hints, find any words of four letters or more. These can be used to trigger the theme word reveals:
- PART
- RAPT
- PENS
- SHARP
- HARP
- DOOM
- ROOM
- EARN
- REAR
- REARS
- SEAR
- FILLER
The Answers
The full solution for today’s Strands puzzle includes the following theme words:
- ERASER
- REFILL
- CEDARWOOD
- GRAPHITE
- SHARPENER
The spangram for this puzzle is not provided in the original source; however, completing the puzzle by finding all other words will reveal it.
Strands tests vocabulary and pattern recognition. The difficulty can vary, with some puzzles relying on obscure or less common terms. Players who struggle may find the hints helpful, but the satisfaction comes from solving it independently.
