Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Crossed words" — is a really fun one, but does rely on you knowing a specific term to find the spangram.
Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #288, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #288, so read on if you need a little help.
Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #288.
Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints
The official theme for NYT Strands #288 is... "Crossed words".
And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Combined meanings".
If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:
- MATES
- SPORE
- ZERO
- MALE
- SURE
- TREE
- THERE
- RARE
Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'P' and ends with 'X'.
Scroll down to find out what it is...
It's PORTMANTEAUX.
Today's Strands answers
So, what are today's Strands answers for game #288?
Drumroll, please...
- BRUNCH
- SPORK
- SMOG
- ZORSE
- ANKLET
- ATHLEISURE
...and the spangram was PORTMANTEAUX.
Strands #288
“Crossed words”
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Hi Strands fans. This was the most enjoyable Strands puzzle in quite a while! Taxing, but not too troublesome (as long as you've heard the spangram word before, that is).
The theme - "Crossed words" - was suitably cryptic, but when I saw BRUNCH in the bottom-right corner, I realized it could only mean one thing. This was a puzzle about combining two words to mean one thing - or PORTMANTEAUX as it's known.
I found said spangram from top to bottom of the board, neatly dividing it in two. But that didn't exactly open the floodgates, with the answers coming relatively slowly. SPORK was immediately above BRUNCH, but it took me a while to see SMOG halfway down the left-hand side.
That helpfully divided the left into two different sections, and I eventually got ZORSE at the top through some trial and error. I then returned to the top right and realized that "leisure" was actually part of ATHLEISURE.
Finally, it was back to the bottom-left corner to figure out what LKENAT could be. I eventually decoded it: ANKLET!
Yesterday's Strands answers
Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #287 right here.
