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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsNYT Strands puzzle #397, dated Friday, April 4, 2025, has the theme clue “Step on it!” The hints below move from general nudges to the full solution, so you can stop before the spoilers.
Hints for Strands #397
Try these in order, stopping whenever you have enough to continue:
- Broad hint: Think of materials you might walk on.
- Theme clue: “Step on it!”
- Words to find for in-game hints: MEAT, WOOD, TIRE, REAL, WHALE and MATE. In Strands, finding three non-theme words earns a hint; the hint reveals letters of a theme word, and an active hint can show their order.
- Spangram hint: It has eight letters. TechRadar reported that it runs horizontally from right to left on row seven.
- Starting-letter clues: The regular answers begin HA, CO, LA, TE and LI. The spangram begins FL.
Full answers for April 4, 2025
Spoiler warning: The complete solution is below.
- CONCRETE
- HARDWOOD
- LINOLEUM
- LAMINATE
- TERRAZZO
- Spangram: FLOORING
The five regular answers are flooring materials, and FLOORING names the category they share. TechRadar and Parade reported the same date, puzzle number, theme and answer list.
How Strands hints work
Parade’s reproduction of NYT-attributed instructions says that theme words fill the board, while the spangram describes the theme and touches two opposite sides. Finding three non-theme words earns a hint. A hint reveals the letters of a theme word; if a hint is already active, it reveals the word’s letter order.
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