October 23’s NYT Strands puzzle focused on poisonous plants.
The spangram POISONOUS tied the theme together, highlighting key dangerous species that are unsafe to eat.
From OLEANDER to AZALEA, the puzzle combined vocabulary, strategy, and logic while immersing players in the world of toxic flora.
The NYT Strands puzzle is a modern spin on the traditional word search. A 6x8 letter grid appears each day with theme words embedded, all connected by some underlying theme. In addition to spotting these words, the puzzle features a unique spangram that connects several points on the board. The puzzle is a test of pattern recognition, strategy, and attention to detail, so each day's puzzle is a rewarding mental workout.
Trace letters vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to find theme words and the spangram.
Each Strands puzzle includes hints to help the solver work toward the theme:
Official hint: Please don’t eat me!
Extra hint: Not fit for food
These hints make it clear that the theme today is about poisonous or dangerous-to-eat plants, providing a theme to solve the puzzle against.
To see a useful hint, three correct words of four letters or more that are not theme words must be discovered. Some words that fit for today are:
LOCK
GLOVE
BELL
COLE
POISON
OVEL
Discovering three of these activates the Hint button, which hints at one of the theme words to simplify solving.
Today's spangram is: POISONOUS. This word connects several points on the grid and has a direct tie to the theme.
POISONOUS – Bearing material that is capable of causing harm, disease, or death upon ingestion or contact.
OLEANDER – A severely toxic flowering shrub widely utilized in horticulture.
BELLADONNA – Also referred to as ‘deadly nightshade,’ a toxic plant whose berries are poisonous.
FOXGLOVE – A rather tall flowering plant whose leaves have poisonous chemicals within them.
HEMLOCK – A toxic plant; in the past, well-known for its use as a means of execution.
AZALEA – An ornamental flowering shrub, some species of which are poisonous if ingested.
All the words can be followed within the ‘not safe to eat’ theme and tracked throughout the grid in more than one direction, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, even changing direction mid-word.
Today’s NYT Strands is a challenge for observation, pattern recognition, and problem-solving abilities. Utilizing the clues strategically and recognizing the spangram contribute to the enjoyment of solving the puzzle. Daily use of Strands is a stimulating and rewarding brain teaser that is ideal for puzzle lovers seeking a daily challenge.