NYT Strands puzzle #187, dated September 6, 2024, uses the theme “Just right.” A gentle clue: think of a familiar fairy tale about three bears. The spangram and full answer list are below the spoiler warning.
Hints for Strands #187
The theme is “Just right.” For a more direct nudge, the spangram clue is “Bear-y tale.” Finding three unrelated words on the board can earn an in-game hint that highlights letters in a theme answer. Sample non-theme words reported for earning hints include BRIDGE, SHARE, SHARPIE, BRIDE, RIDE, and BRASH. TechRadar’s September 5, 2024 guide lists these words and says the spangram touches the board’s left and right sides on the fifth row.
If you want to solve it yourself, consider what Goldilocks encounters in the Three Bears’ home: food, furniture, and contrasting descriptions. The puzzle’s design follows the flexible theme approach described by The New York Times: themes can be fill-in-the-blank phrases, steps in a process, items in a category, synonyms, or homophones, as quoted by Forbes.
Spoilers: spangram and answers
Spangram: THREEBEARS
The other answers are:
- PORRIDGE
- BEDS
- CHAIRS
- MAMA
- BABY
- PAPA
- HARD
- SOFT
Together, these words point to Goldilocks and the Three Bears: the porridge, beds, and chairs belong to the bears, while HARD and SOFT echo the story’s contrasts. The matching answer set is also published by Try Hard Guides.
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How Strands hints work
Strands is a word-search puzzle played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Find theme words and a spangram that describes the theme and stretches between opposite sides of the board. Finding three words that are not theme answers can unlock a hint highlighting letters in a theme word, according to Try Hard Guides.
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