Thursday’s NYT Strands Puzzle tests solvers with a gritty and challenging theme: Coarse Material. If you’re craving a rough-and-tumble puzzle to start your Thursday, this one provides a good challenge. Prepare yourself to navigate coarse textures and materials that give your mind a great workout.
To begin, find words that are related to the theme of coarse or rough material. Watch for words such as LOOF, MICE, ROUGH, STUFF, SAND, PAPER, and SACK. As you find these theme words, the hint light will come on, assisting you in relating everything to the spangram that holds it all together.
Today’s puzzle celebrates words that are familiar for their coarse and abrasive textures. Ranging from natural sources such as BARK to personal care products like PUMICE, these words all have a gritty, tangible feel. Every word you discover will contribute to your learning how these materials are connected, enriching your solving experience even further.
The spangram ROUGHSTUFF bridges the two opposing sides of the grid. It summarizes the puzzle’s theme as the last piece that unifies all the rough materials. As soon as you find it, it will be highlighted, filling out the puzzle’s form.
SACKCLOTH – A rough, rugged material used for sack and bag making. It’s rugged and perfect for supporting heavy loads.
PUMICE – Light, gritty volcanic rock, typically employed to exfoliate skin and smooth rough surfaces.
BARK – The hard outer covering of trees, which is different in texture according to the type. It’s necessary for protecting the tree.
ROPE – Fibrous, strong material, mostly employed for fastening, lifting, and holding things. Its gritty texture makes it ideal for hard work.
LOOFAH – A natural sponge produced from the dried fruit of a tropical plant, commonly used for exfoliation in baths.
SANDPAPER – A coarse paper covered with abrasives, used to smooth, polish, and clean surfaces.
Today’s puzzle provides a rich, tactile experience. Whether it’s the scrubbing strength of a LOOFAH or the ruggedness of SACKCLOTH, the theme’s emphasis on rough materials provides an entertaining and difficult puzzle.
It’s tough; this Thursday’s Coarse Material Strands puzzle serves as a "fix" to anybody needing a dose of roughness. All with ROUGHSTUFF as the glue, this puzzle offers some worthy openings to one’s day.
See what the future holds for the next day; figure out the puzzle and the emerging, new, and interesting theme.