The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for October 21, 2023, challenges players to uncover themed words hidden within a grid of letters. If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of the puzzle, including hints and the complete solution.
Understanding the Puzzle
Strands requires players to identify words of four or more letters. Finding three such words unlocks a theme hint. The goal is to uncover all themed words, including the spangram, a long word that spans the entire grid using every letter at least once. The puzzle’s difficulty varies; some days are straightforward, while others demand strategic word-finding.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The theme for today’s Strands is “Banding Together.” A helpful clue is: “Rock out.” This suggests the theme revolves around music, specifically bands or concerts.
Words to Unlock Hints
To trigger the in-game hints, identify at least three four-letter words. Here’s a list of possible words from today’s grid:
- POLE
- LOPE
- RATS
- RATE
- RATES
- RATER
- GATE
- GATES
- STAG
- TAGS
- CORE
- REOPEN
- HEAD
- LINE
- LINER
Complete Solutions
The themed words for today’s Strands puzzle are:
- STAGE
- ENCORE
- OPENER
- HEADLINER
- MERCHANDISE
The spangram for this puzzle is… CONCERTGOER.
Successfully finding all these words will highlight every letter on the grid, confirming a complete solution.
Strands is a popular daily puzzle that tests vocabulary and pattern recognition. These solutions can help those who enjoy a quick mental challenge or need assistance with a particularly tough day’s puzzle.
