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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The Wednesday, December 4, 2024, NYT Strands puzzle is #276. Its theme points to diacritical marks: the spangram is DIACRITICS, and the six theme words are ACUTE, CEDILLA, CIRCUMFLEX, GRAVE, TILDE and UMLAUT. Hints come first below; the full word list follows the spoiler warning.
Hints for the December 4, 2024 Strands puzzle
Use these in order to reveal only as much as you need.
- Theme clue: “I now pronounce you …”
- Gentle nudge: Think about accents and how words are pronounced. The theme is not about marriage.
- Spangram hint: Look for the family name for small language helpers. It has ten letters and runs from top to bottom.
Spangram and answers
Spoiler: The spangram is DIACRITICS.
The six theme words are:
- ACUTE
- CEDILLA
- CIRCUMFLEX
- GRAVE
- TILDE
- UMLAUT
Why the theme fits
Diacritical marks are signs added to letters, such as accents and the cedilla. The words name several kinds of these marks. In Strands, the spangram identifies the theme and stretches between opposite sides of the board.
Which December 4 puzzle is this?
This answer is for Wednesday, December 4, 2024, puzzle #276. It is not the December 4, 2025 puzzle: that date fell on a Thursday and corresponds to puzzle #641. Forbes’ December 3, 2024 guide by Senior Contributor Erik Kain and WordHint’s December 4, 2024 page give the same theme, spangram and six answers.
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About NYT Strands
Strands is a daily themed word-search puzzle from New York Times Games. Erik Kain described it as “a fun twist on classic word search games” in his December 3, 2024 Forbes guide.
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