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The NYT Strands puzzle for October 12, 2024—commonly identified as game #223—has the theme clue “Toon time.” It is a past puzzle, not the live Strands game for October 2026. If you want help without seeing the solution, start with the clues below; the full answer list is marked as a spoiler.
Spoiler-light hints for October 12
- Theme clue: “Toon time.”
- Words that unlock in-game hints: HEAR, HARE, AREA, CART, RUNG, and SNUG.
- Spangram clue: “Assorted loons.”
- Spangram path: It starts at the right edge in row five and ends at the left edge in row six.
In Strands, you search a letter grid for theme-related words. Words can bend through adjacent letters, and the spangram crosses the grid between opposite edges. Finding unrelated words can also trigger hints that reveal a theme word.
Spoilers: the complete answer set
The spangram is CHARACTERS. The seven theme words are:
- BUGS
- DAFFY
- FOGHORN
- FOXY
- GRANNY
- PETUNIA
- PORKY
Why the puzzle number may differ
Archives do not use a consistent number for this puzzle: TechRadar and Try Hard Guides identify the October 12, 2024 game as #223, while Xfire labels the same date’s puzzle #349. The date and matching answer set are the clearest way to identify it.
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