For the New York Times Strands puzzle dated March 15, 2025, puzzle #377, the theme is “Free for all.” If you want a nudge before seeing the solution, start with the hints below; the spangram and complete word list are marked as spoilers.
Hints for Strands #377
- Gentle hint: Think of things you might receive at an event or convention.
- Stronger hint: The theme points to items collected in a promotional giveaway bag.
- Final nudge: The spangram names that kind of bag.
Strands allows words to run in any direction on the board. Try Hard Guides says the spangram touches the board’s left and right sides and appears in yellow, while theme words appear in light blue. The guide also says that finding four-letter-or-longer words that are not theme answers earns progress toward a hint: one theme word is revealed for every three such words.
Spoiler: the spangram
SWAGBAG
Spoiler: all theme words
- BOTTLE
- DECAL
- LANYARD
- NOTEBOOK
- PENCIL
- SHIRT
- TOTE
Together, these seven answers are items associated with a swag bag, matching the theme clue “Free for all.”
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