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NYT Strands puzzle for June 20 focuses on the light but layered theme of powders
The spangram POWDERS bring together sweet, spicy, soothing, and explosive elements
Theme words include COCOA, CHILI, ITCHING, BAKING, and more, each tied to a type of powder
It’s Friday, June 20, and the group chats are livelier than the spreadsheets, the coffee breaks are getting suspiciously longer, and the urge to ‘wrap things up early’ is more powerful than ever. The weekend’s practically waving at us from the edge of the desk.
So, whether you’re halfway through typing an email or contemplating a very strategic early log-off, take a breather. Let’s escape into today’s NYT Strands puzzle for a few deliciously unproductive minutes.
Today’s puzzle is a subtle one. It doesn’t demand much, just a soft focus on what’s fine, fleeting, and lightly layered. As with the weekend promise or a dusting of cocoa on your beverage, the theme is about those things that settle lightly but linger.
‘Just a dusting’ can be comfort, spice, even a boon if you’re not cautious. In today’s Strands, we sort through powder in every sense, sweet, calming, spicy, explosive.
The Strands puzzle board measures 8 rows by 6 columns. Eight theme-based words are hidden inside. When you reveal a theme word, it is highlighted blue. But at the center of the grid lies the spangram, a word that unites them all and runs from one end of the board to the other. The spangram glows yellow and will reveal the puzzle’s real story.
‘POWDERS’ is more than a spangram now; it’s the cement that bonds opposites. It suggests warmth and turmoil, calm baby skin, and hot chili spice. From sweet to blow-your-head-off, it keeps in mind that at times the lightest may have the weightiest meaning.
COCOA – A sprinkle of happiness in your mug.
CHILI – Heat in powder, a spice that sits you up.
BAKING – Whispery puffs of flour, sugar, and expectation.
BABY – The softest application of powder, comforting and evocative.
ITCHING – That need for relief, powder comes to the rescue.
TALCUM – Timeless, cool tranquility in a bottle.
BLASTING – Powder at its most explosive, kaboom!
Strands of Today is a soft reminder that even the lightest touch can awaken rich sensations. It’s not a quiz or a competition, it’s a tiny interlude of serenity at the close of your week.
So give in, finish your work, and treat yourself to a five-minute indulgence in fluffy thoughts. The weekend’s just around the corner. Let it waft in like a sprinkle of something lovely.
