New York Times Strands puzzle #273, from Sunday, December 1, 2024, has the theme clue “Old hang-ups.” Start with the hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the complete answer list is farther down and marked as a spoiler.
Hints for Strands #273
Start with the theme
“Old hang-ups” points toward the parts and mechanisms of a vintage telephone. Look for words associated with holding, dialing, listening, signaling, or connecting a call.
Spangram hint
The spangram clue is “Pick up if you’re there.” It runs horizontally from the board’s right edge to its left edge. Its first letter is on the right side in the fourth row, and its final letter is on the left side in the third row.
Use in-game hints if needed
The New York Times instructions, as reproduced by Parade, say: “For every 3 non-theme words you find, you earn a hint.” WordHint specifies that these clue words must be at least four letters long; the hint then highlights letters belonging to a theme word.
Spoiler: all answers for December 1, 2024
Stop here if you are still working on the puzzle. The six theme words are:
- CRADLE
- DIAL
- HANDSET
- RECEIVER
- RINGER
- SWITCH
Spangram: ROTARYPHONE
How the answers fit the theme
- CRADLE: the support where a telephone handset rests.
- DIAL: the mechanism used to enter a telephone number.
- HANDSET: the part held in the hand for speaking and listening.
- RECEIVER: the part held to the ear to hear the caller.
- RINGER: the mechanism that signals an incoming call.
- SWITCH: the mechanism associated with connecting or disconnecting a call.
The spangram, ROTARYPHONE, names the vintage telephone that ties the theme words together. The NYT instructions reproduced by Parade describe a spangram as a word that describes the theme and touches two opposite sides of the board.
Quick Recap
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