Need help? You aren’t alone. Today’s puzzle hides answers under the ocean. Literally. Some words are tangled hard enough to make your eyes water.
Click here for hints if you’re stuck. Or read on. I’ll walk you through it.
The Theme: What Lurks Below
The theme today is Beneath the waves.
Does that spark anything? No? Try this. Think SpongeBob SquarePants. Who hangs out there? Your neighbors.
“Possible SpongeBob pals”
That should point you toward sea life. Mostly the crunchy kind. Or the slimy kind. Depends on who you ask.
Unlocking Hints Without the Spangram
Here’s the mechanic. You don’t just need the theme words. You need any four-letter-plus word to keep moving. Find three? Strands shows you a theme answer.
I grabbed these filler words to trigger the hints. Yours might differ. That’s fine. Just find something valid:
- RAKE
- TONE
- NOTE
- RENT
- HARK
- SLED
- GALE
The Answers: Sea Creatures & Stuff
Okay. Here is what actually matters. The theme words.
CRAB
FISH
ALGAE
SHARK
URCHIN
SEAWEED
PLANKTON
One of those runs the entire board. That’s the spangram. I used to think there were always eight theme answers. Turns out the number shifts. It’s a small detail but it matters when you’re trying to clear the grid.
Get them all. Use every letter. Leave no black space unturned.
Wait. What About Wordle?
If your brain is already fried, skip this and go touch grass. Or solve Wordle first.
Check the main hints page for those. Or Connections. Or the Mini Crossword. This article covers Strands only. Don’t @ me.
So. Are you solving it for fun or just to check a box?
Either way, good luck diving in. 🤿
