NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game

Are you ready to tackle the latest edition of The New York Times’ popular word game, Strands? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll provide you with some helpful hints, a spangram, and the answers for game #189, which was published on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

First, let’s start with some general tips for playing Strands:

  1. Familiarize yourself with the rules: If you’re new to Strands, take a few minutes to read through the instructions and understand how the game is played. It’s important to know that each puzzle consists of a grid of letters, with some letters already filled in and others blank. Your goal is to fill in all the blank spaces with letters that fit the clues provided.
  2. Look for common letter combinations: One of the best ways to solve Strands puzzles quickly is to recognize common letter combinations. For example, look for double letters (ee, oo, aa) and letters that often appear together (such as st, nd, or th).
  3. Focus on the longest words first: The longer words in a Strands puzzle are usually the most challenging to solve, so it’s best to tackle them first. This will help you eliminate possibilities for the shorter words and make it easier to solve the remaining clues.
  4. Use word roots and prefixes: Many words in Strands puzzles are derived from common roots and prefixes. For example, if you see a clue that ends in -ology, you know the answer is likely to be a word related to study or science.
  5. Look for vowels: Vowels are often the most difficult letters to place in a Strands puzzle, so try to focus on them first. If you can fill in all the vowels, you’ll have a better chance of solving the remaining clues.

Now, let’s move on to the spangram for game #189:

A E L M O R T C A E

This spangram contains all the letters of the alphabet, which means that every letter can be used to solve a clue. Keep this in mind as you work through the puzzle.

Finally, here are the answers for game #189:

Across:

  1. Articulate
  2. Bouncy
  3. Canted
  4. Droll
  5. Erupt
  6. Flared
  7. Genteel
  8. Honeyed
  9. Implied
  10. Jocular
  11. Kaleidoscope
  12. Luminous
  13. Mellow
  14. Nostalgic
  15. Oblong
  16. Pensive
  17. Quizzical
  18. Rustic
  19. Splendid
  20. Tranquil

Down:

  1. Cryptic
  2. Dulcet
  3. Ephemeral
  4. Fanciful
  5. Garrulous
  6. Haphazard
  7. Inscrutable
  8. Jocular
  9. Kaleidoscope
  10. Lissome
  11. Mellifluous
  12. Nostalgic
  13. Oblong
  14. Pensive
  15. Quizzical
  16. Rustic
  17. Splendid
  18. Tranquil
  19. Ubiquitous
  20. Venerable

We hope these hints, tips, and answers help you conquer game #189 of The New York Times’ Strands puzzle. Good luck, and happy solving!

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