NYT Strands game #133, from Sunday, July 14, 2024, uses the theme clue “Say my name.” The spangram is HOMOPHONES, and the theme answers are PEAT, MERRY, WHINNY, FILL, GALE, RUSTLE, HAIRY, and ATOM. Hints come first below; the full list is marked as a spoiler.
Hints for the July 14 Strands puzzle
Theme clue
The official theme clue reported for this puzzle is “Say my name.” Think of everyday words that sound like given names when spoken aloud.
Spangram hint
The spangram is a word for words that sound alike. TechRadar’s guide gives its path as starting at the top edge in the fourth column and ending at the bottom edge in the fourth column. [TechRadar]
Optional in-game hint words
In Strands, finding three non-theme words of at least four letters unlocks a hint that highlights letters in a theme answer. TechRadar lists MOAN, SLANT, STALE, LAST, THORN, and POLL as words that can earn hints for this grid. [TechRadar]
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How Strands works
Strands is a word-search puzzle played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Connect letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally; a word’s path can change direction. Theme words turn blue, while the spangram turns yellow. Finding three valid non-theme words of four or more letters earns a hint. [Forbes]
Spoiler: full answers
The reported spangram and theme-word answers for Sunday, July 14, 2024, are:
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- Spangram: HOMOPHONES
- Theme words: PEAT, MERRY, WHINNY, FILL, GALE, RUSTLE, HAIRY, ATOM
Forbes and TechRadar report the same answer set. [Forbes] [TechRadar]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the answers fit the theme
The organizing idea is words that resemble given names in sound: GALE can sound like Gail, FILL like Phil, and PEAT like Pete. Some of the other pairings are less obvious. TechRadar questions the intended matches for MERRY, HAIRY, and ATOM; a reader cited by Forbes suggested Adam for ATOM. Those are possible readings, not confirmed explanations from the puzzle’s creator. [TechRadar] [Forbes]
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