Issue #494 Thu 6 Feb
Strands hints — February 6, 2025
A light, breezy grid that rewards a steady hand and a quick eye for patterns. Take a breath and look for the common threads.
Theme 3 reveals
Today's theme
You take the same route home and a single door is open that's never open.
Common personal identifiers
HUMAN MONIKERS
Spangram 4 nudges · 10 letters
The connector word
Single compound word
10 letters.
Starts with F, ends with S.
FIRSTNAMES
Group hint 1 reveal
Show all starting letters
Starting letters
- 1 C (5 letters)
- 2 C (5 letters)
- 3 D (4 letters)
- 4 F (5 letters)
- 5 J (5 letters)
- 6 M (5 letters)
- 7 R (5 letters)
- 8 W (4 letters)
Group hint 1 reveal
Show the first two letters of each
First two letters
- 1 CH (5 letters)
- 2 CH (5 letters)
- 3 DR (4 letters)
- 4 FR (5 letters)
- 5 JI (5 letters)
- 6 MI (5 letters)
- 7 RO (5 letters)
- 8 WI (4 letters)
Theme word 1 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
Look for the person who always gets the last word in a heated debate.
5 letters.
Starts with C.
Starts with CH.
CHASE
Theme word 2 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
The colleague who might suddenly decide to quit their job for a life at sea.
5 letters.
Starts with C.
Starts with CH.
CHUCK
Theme word 3 of 8 5 nudges · 4 letters
A theme word
Consider the person who sketched the portrait of the office manager.
4 letters.
Starts with D.
Starts with DR.
DREW
Theme word 4 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
A direct, no-nonsense communicator who tells you exactly how it is.
5 letters.
Starts with F.
Starts with FR.
FRANK
Theme word 5 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
The neighbor who always has a spare key under the mat.
5 letters.
Starts with J.
Starts with JI.
JIMMY
Theme word 6 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
The traveler who has seen more of the country than anyone else you know.
5 letters.
Starts with M.
Starts with MI.
MILES
Theme word 7 of 8 5 nudges · 5 letters
A theme word
The gardener who knows exactly when the spring birds return.
5 letters.
Starts with R.
Starts with RO.
ROBIN
Theme word 8 of 8 5 nudges · 4 letters
A theme word
Check the document left behind to see who inherits the old house.
4 letters.
Starts with W.
Starts with WI.
WILL