NYT Strands Hints and Answers for August 16, 2024 (#166)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of August 16, 2024: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of August 16, 2024? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for August 16, 2024, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
This or that
The puzzle calls today’s theme “This or that”. Read it loosely: the 8 answers are examples of it, not synonyms for it.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, D, F, F, M, N, S, S. Several share a starting letter (F, S).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6 and 7 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 7.
SpangramThe spangram
OPTIONS
It is a single word of 7 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with O, ends with S.
AnswersAll theme words
- MAKE4 letters
- SINK4 letters
- SWIM4 letters
- BREAK5 letters
- FEAST5 letters
- DOUBLE6 letters
- FAMINE6 letters
- NOTHING7 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.