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Need a nudge for the NYT Strands puzzle from Monday, March 31, 2025? Start with the theme clue and gentle hint below; the complete answer list is kept in the spoiler section.
Today’s Strands puzzle: March 31, 2025
This is game #393, published Monday, March 31, 2025. Its theme clue is: “That’s an equine of a different shade!” The date and game number are identified by TechRadar and also match the dated guides from Forbes and Parade.
Gentle hint
Think of a familiar saying about something being a different shade, then replace a word. The puzzle’s theme is about color varieties associated with one animal.
How Strands hints work
Published guides describe Strands as a themed word search on a six-by-eight letter grid. Find the theme words and the spangram, which names their connection and runs from one side of the board to the opposite side. Theme words turn blue when found; the spangram turns yellow. Letters can connect vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and a word’s path can change direction.
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If you are stuck, the guides say that finding three valid words that are not theme answers earns a hint revealing the letters of a theme word. These are guide-reported mechanics, not a direct statement of current NYT rules.
Spoilers: March 31 Strands answers
Stop here if you want to solve the grid without seeing the answers.
Rank #2
Spangram
HORSECOLORINGS
TechRadar displays the same spangram as “HORSE COLORINGS”; the space is only a formatting difference.
Theme words
- DAPPLE
- BUCKSKIN
- ROAN
- CHESTNUT
- PALOMINO
The clue and answer set are corroborated in the dated guides from Forbes, TechRadar, and Parade.
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