Past puzzleDec 30, 2024Puzzle #460

Strands hints: Dec 30, 2024

Revisit the NYT Strands puzzle from Dec 30, 2024 (2024-12-30) with the theme clue, deeper hints, the spangram, and the solved grid all in one place.

Puzzle #460 · 2024-12-30

Step through today’s Strands hints

Today's grid has 5 theme words and a 11-letter spangram. Category signal: Category List. Difficulty signal: Easy.

Layer 1

Hint 1 – theme clue

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Keep it classical

5 theme wordsSpangram 11 lettersEasyCategory List

Layer 2

Hint 2 – board structure

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This board is built around 5 themed answers plus a 11-letter spangram that ties the whole set together. Touches the left and right edges.

5 theme wordsSpangram: 11 lettersDifficulty: EasyTheme: Category List

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Layer 3

Hint 3 – starting letters

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Here are the opening letters and broad board regions for each hidden answer, plus the opening letter of the spangram.

Theme word 1

Starts with C • bottom band

Theme word 2

Starts with O • bottom-left quadrant

Theme word 3

Starts with P • top band

Theme word 4

Starts with S • top band

Theme word 5

Starts with S • top-left quadrant

Spangram

Starts with C • Touches the left and right edges

Layer 4

Hint 4 – theme words

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Here are the exact theme answers without the board paths yet.

CONCERTOOVERTUREPRELUDESONATASYMPHONY

Layer 5

Hint 5 – spangram

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COMPOSITION

Path: (4, 1) → (4, 2) → (4, 3) → (4, 4) → (4, 5) → (5, 4) → (6, 3) → (7, 4) → (6, 5) → (5, 6) → (6, 6)

Layer 6

Hint 6 – solved grid

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Blue cells = theme wordsGold cells = spangram

CONCERTO

(8, 6) → (8, 5) → (7, 6) → (7, 5) → (8, 4) → (8, 3) → (8, 2) → (8, 1)

OVERTURE

(6, 2) → (7, 3) → (7, 2) → (7, 1) → (6, 1) → (5, 1) → (5, 2) → (5, 3)

PRELUDE

(2, 3) → (2, 4) → (3, 5) → (3, 6) → (4, 6) → (5, 5) → (6, 4)

SONATA

(2, 5) → (2, 6) → (1, 6) → (1, 5) → (1, 4) → (1, 3)

SYMPHONY

(3, 4) → (3, 3) → (2, 2) → (1, 2) → (1, 1) → (2, 1) → (3, 1) → (3, 2)

Theme clue

Keep it classical

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