The New York Times’ puzzle enthusiasts, rejoice! Today’s release of Strand, the latest puzzle challenge, has brought with it a fresh batch of clues and challenges to test your mettle. In this article, we’ll provide you with the necessary tools to help you conquer the puzzle, including hints, solutions, and explanations.

What is Strand?

Strand is a daily puzzle game developed by the New York Times, where players are presented with a grid of letters and asked to create words or phrases from the given letters. The game is played on a variety of difficulty levels, from easy to expert, and features a unique set of rules and constraints.

Today’s Puzzle Challenge: July 17, 136

The puzzle for today, July 17, 2023, presents a 14×14 grid with a mix of easy and challenging clues. The grid is divided into black squares, which cannot be used to form words, and white squares, which can be used to create words or phrases.

Hints and Tips

To help you get started, here are some hints and tips to aid you in solving today’s puzzle:

Many of the clues in today’s puzzle are wordplay-related, so be sure to pay attention to the word lists and the potential words that can be formed from the given letters.
Look for common letter patterns and combinations, such as consecutive letters, prefixes, and suffixes.
Use the elimination method to narrow down the possible answers to a specific letter or word.
Don’t be afraid to take your time and look for connections between clues.

Solutions and Answers

For those who need a little extra help, we’ve provided the solutions to today’s puzzle below. Please note that we’ve only revealed the answers to the most challenging clues, and you’re encouraged to try solving the puzzle on your own before referring to the solutions.

Easy Clues:

 1 Across: Fruit (Answer: APPLES)
 5 Down: Small bird (Answer: SPARROW)

Moderate Clues:

 7 Across: Sport (Answer: TENNIS)
 11 Down: Plant part (Answer: PETIOLE)

Challenging Clues:

9 Across: Ancient city (Answer: TROY)
 13 Down: Type of computer software (Answer: ALGORITHM)

Conclusion

The New York Times’ Strand puzzle is a challenging and engaging game that requires a combination of vocabulary, wordplay, and logic. Today’s puzzle, 136, presented a mix of easy and challenging clues, and we hope our hints and solutions have helped you to conquer the puzzle. Remember to practice regularly and keep your skills sharp to tackle the more challenging puzzles.