Stuck?
We’ve got the goods.
Plus the answer for the whole mess.
Today’s New York Times Strands puzzle hits different. It’s delicious. Some words hide deep in that grid, refusing to unscramble themselves for just anyone.
If you need a nudge, or maybe just the answers, keep scrolling.
The theme? Bon appétit.
Simple enough, right? Wrong.
You might be staring at that board like it’s an alien language. If so, here is the clue that unlocks the door: treats you’d eat with coffee. Or tea. Maybe a martini, depending on how bad it’s going.
Don’t care about the rules. You probably know them. Or don’t. It doesn’t matter. But if you did want to dive deeper into how Strands works, there is a whole other piece on that.
Right now, let’s talk about the other NYT games. Want Wordle? Connections? Mini Crossword? Head over to CNET. We link to those too, but let’s focus.
Here are words to type in just to trigger the hints. You need three words with four or more letters to get the game to cough up a theme hint. I used these:
FRENCH. CARE. RACE.
MARE. REAM. CATS.
CAST. BAKE. CASE. SCAT.
Pick whatever. Any four-letter word works. Just make the hints appear.
So.
What are you actually looking for?
ECLAIR. MOUSSE. MACARON. MERINGUE. CROISSANT.
Those are the treats.
And then there’s the spangram. That long word stretching from one side to the other? You know the one.
It’s CROISSANTS AND MOUSSE.
Wait, check your board.
The goal isn’t just finding words. It’s using every single letter on that grid. I used to think there were always exactly eight answers. I was wrong. The number changes. The goal is simply to fill the board. Once you find all the theme words, every letter will have been claimed.
You’re welcome.
Go back in and clear that grid out.
Unless you want to leave a letter there. Who’s really the judge. 🥐
