This is the archived answer for New York Times Strands puzzle #84, dated May 26, 2024. Spoilers follow: the theme is “Beyond Nashville,” and the spangram is COUNTRYSTARS.
May 26, 2024 Strands answers
The puzzle has seven answers in total: six theme words and the spangram. The theme words are surnames associated with country music performers.
- CASH
- PAISLEY
- BROOKS
- HILL
- TWAIN
- SWIFT
- URBAN
Spangram: COUNTRYSTARS
How the theme points to the answers
“Beyond Nashville” hints at country music without naming the performers outright. COUNTRYSTARS makes that category explicit; the remaining answers are surnames that fit it. The sources agree on this answer set, though they list the names in different orders.
One reported solving approach
A Try Hard Guides writer described spotting COUNTRY vertically in the spangram, then finding CASH and using it to help uncover more answers. That is one solver’s account, not a verified path through the grid or a guaranteed solve order. The available references do not establish the full letter grid or the exact paths, so coordinates and directions cannot be confirmed.
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