The New York Times Strands puzzle for January 15, 2024, challenged players with a theme centered around human anatomy, specifically the ear. The puzzle requires identifying hidden words related to this theme, with a final “spangram” word that stretches across the grid.
Hints and Strategy
The game’s mechanic involves finding at least three words of four letters or more to unlock hints. Players can use any valid words to trigger these assists, with examples including CARB, CART, CAPS, SCAR, DUEL, LANE, HEAL, and HEAR. The goal is to reveal the theme-related words, which include a long, grid-spanning spangram.
Today’s Answers
The non-spangram answers for today’s puzzle are:
- DRUM
- LOBE
- ANVIL
- CANAL
- HAMMER
- STIRRUP
- CARTILAGE
The spangram, a word that spans the entire grid, is HEARHEAR. The solution path begins with the leftmost “H” on the top row and extends downward.
Puzzle Difficulty
The Strands game varies in difficulty, with some themes proving more challenging than others. Previous hard topics include dated slang (PHAT ) and marine biology terms (BALEEN, RIGHT ). The puzzle’s complexity depends on the solver’s familiarity with the subject matter.
