Today’s New York Times Strands puzzle (number 607) presents a Halloween-adjacent theme, leveraging seasonal colors like orange and purple for visual cues. The puzzle challenges players to identify hidden words linked by a central theme, with a spangram—a long, theme-related word that spans the grid—as the ultimate goal.
Hints and Strategy
The core mechanic involves uncovering words of four letters or more. Once three such words are found, the puzzle reveals a themed hint. The clue for today’s puzzle is “Good bones,” referencing the skeletal system. Useful starter words include FULL, SLUR, REST, DARK, TOME, TONE, LUNA, RENT, KALE, MOLE, LAKE, and NOTE.
Complete Answers
The answers to today’s Strands puzzle are:
ULNAFEMURSKULLFIBULARADIUSHUMERUSSTERNUM
The spangram, the long word that connects across the grid, is SKELETON . The letter “S” begins four down on the far-left row.
Puzzle Difficulty Trends
Recent Strands puzzles have varied in difficulty. Some of the toughest themes include dated slang (like “PHAT” from January 21) and niche topics such as marine biology terms (e.g., “BALEEN” or “RIGHT” from January 15). The challenge arises when themes rely on obscure knowledge or outdated cultural references.
The puzzle’s mechanics encourage systematic word hunting, with hints unlocked by finding longer words. The spangram is the ultimate test, requiring players to recognize a theme-related word woven throughout the grid.
