The New York Times daily Strands puzzle for February 4, 2024, centers around the theme of “For the enthusiast” – specifically, hobbies. Players need to identify a series of hidden words connected to this topic, including a long “spangram” that stretches across the grid.
Hints and Strategy
If you’re stuck, the key is to start finding any four-letter or longer words on the board. Once you uncover three such words, the game will reveal one of the theme-related terms. Example words include: TIRE, POLL, POLE, MATE, TEAM, PLUMB, and others. This unlocks in-game hints to guide you toward the full solution.
Today’s Answers
The non-spangram words for today’s puzzle are:
DICEGAMEMODELPUZZLEMINIATURECOLLECTIBLE
The spangram (the word that spans the entire grid) is HOBBYSHOP . Begin with the “H” on the top row, three letters to the right, and trace the letters downward.
Notable Difficulty
Strands puzzles can vary in difficulty. Some past themes, like “Dated slang” (featuring the term PHAT ) and “Thar she blows!” (with terms like BALEEN or RIGHT ), have proven particularly challenging for players. The puzzle’s difficulty comes from the combination of word-finding and theme-recognition, testing both vocabulary and lateral thinking.
The Strands puzzle requires patience and systematic word exploration to uncover all the connections.
