NYT Strands puzzle #78 for May 20, 2024 has the theme “Fowl fairy tale.” If you want to solve it yourself, start with the hints below; the full spangram and word list follow under a spoiler warning.
Hints for Strands #78
- The theme points to a familiar fairy tale about a bird that is treated as an outsider.
- Think of the story’s arc: being a misfit, taking a journey, and discovering a new reflection of yourself.
- The spangram names the fairy-tale character at the center of the theme.
Full solution for May 20, 2024
Spoilers below: the answers are listed in full.
Theme: Fowl fairy tale
Spangram: UGLYDUCKLING
Theme words: MISFIT, JOURNEY, REFLECTION, SWAN, BEAUTIFUL
How the answers fit the theme
UGLYDUCKLING supplies the shared fairy-tale framing. MISFIT and JOURNEY suggest the character’s early story, while REFLECTION, SWAN, and BEAUTIFUL evoke the transformation and ending. This is an interpretation of the answer set rather than a separately verified official explanation.
Answer-source note
Two answer archives agree on this puzzle’s theme, spangram, and five theme words: HintPulse’s Strands archive and YourDictionary / WordFinder’s archive. The page matching this article’s original title conflicts with itself, listing different themes and answers, so it is not a reliable source for this solution. No official NYT puzzle page was available to independently confirm the archived answer set.
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