The New York Times Strands puzzle for January 4, 2024, challenges players to uncover hidden words linked by a specific theme. This guide provides hints and the complete solution to help you solve today’s puzzle.
Understanding the Puzzle
Strands requires identifying words of four or more letters within a grid. The game reveals theme words when you find enough non-theme terms. The ultimate goal is to locate all theme words, including the spangram – a single word that stretches across the entire board.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The theme for today’s Strands is “I just know…” and relates to mental powers.
If you’re stuck, here’s a clue: Psychic abilities.
Unlocking In-Game Hints
To trigger the game’s built-in hints, find any words with four or more letters. Here are some examples that can help:
- HIDE
- SIDE
- MICE
- DICE
- CAUL
- CARE
- CARET
- CAPE
- TAPE
- RICE
Complete Solution
The theme words for today’s puzzle are:
- MEDIUM
- ORACLE
- PSYCHIC
- TELEPATH
- CLAIRVOYANT
The spangram (the word that spans the entire grid) is SIXTHSENSE. Begin the word at the leftmost “S” in the top row and trace it downward.
Tough Past Puzzles
Recent Strands puzzles that posed challenges for many players include:
- Dated slang (January 21): The puzzle featured obsolete slang terms like “PHAT”.
- Thar she blows! (January 15): This marine-themed puzzle tested knowledge of nautical terminology, with difficult words like “BALEEN” or “RIGHT”.
Solving Strands requires a combination of vocabulary, pattern recognition, and a little bit of luck. With these hints and the complete solution, you should be able to conquer today’s puzzle with ease.
