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NYT Strands puzzle for June 18 embraces an introspective mood
The spangram SADNESS forms the emotional core of the puzzle
Theme words explore sorrow and reflection: MELANCHOLY, BLUE, WOEBEGONE, and more
It’s Wednesday, June 18, and today’s Strands puzzle has a slower beat, more contemplative than frenetic. It does not require haste or bright logic but rather asks for a still moment of consideration.
As we look out a rainy window or thumb through a photo album of memories, today’s challenge is an emotional one. The words do not leap out at you. They linger slowly in the atmosphere, grazing your mind and evoking a sense of calm.
Today’s puzzle is a soft acknowledgment of sadness, not to the point of overwhelming, but in respect for the more subdued emotions we tend to hide away. These words talk of feeling, of tearful pauses and blue afterthoughts.
They speak of days when gloom outstays its welcome. This isn’t despair, it’s recognition. The puzzle makes room for melancholy, with seven words that encapsulate that shared feeling of sadness.
The strands grid is made up of 8 rows and 6 columns, containing scattered letters. Your mission: reveal seven words connected with one concept. Once discovered, each theme word turns a pale blue. Buried among them is the spangram, a word that wraps its way from one end of the board to the other. It is yellow when found and is the emotional core of the puzzle.
Perfectly in keeping with our theme today, SADNESS is what holds the entire grid together. It winds through the puzzle, infusing emotion into form. It is not just a word; it is the emotion woven through all four corners of this puzzle.
MELANCHOLY – A profound, thoughtful sadness that clings like mist.
WOEBEGONE – Appearing or feeling extremely sad and miserable.
BLUE – An abbreviation of sorrow and muted despair.
TEARY – Eyes filled with emotion that can’t be put into words.
DOLEFUL – Showing sorrow in its most serious form.
GLOOMY – Dark, both literally and figuratively.
Today’s Strands puzzle doesn’t scream. It speaks softly. It reminds you that sometimes downtime doesn’t equal rest; it can equal contemplation, sorrow, or just a respite to feel.
During the rest of your Wednesday, keep in mind that it’s all right to not be all right all the time. Today’s Strands acknowledges that space, giving you not answers, but words that get it.
