NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #186 (Thursday, September 5 2024)

NYT Strands on a cellphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
Strands today: Quick menu

Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? Today's puzzle theme — "Going underground" — isn't too tricky once you know what it's referring to.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #186, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #186, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #186.  

Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #186 is... "Going underground".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Earth bounty."

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

  • GOAT
  • TUNE
  • TROVE
  • PINE
  • VOTE
  • RUIN

Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'R' and ends in 'S'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's ROOTVEGETABLES.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #186?

Drumroll, please...

  • POTATO
  • TURNIP
  • BEET
  • TARO
  • JICAMA
  • RUTABAGA

Strands #186

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

..and the spangram was ROOTVEGETABLES.

Strands #186

“Going underground”

🟡🔵🔵🔵

🔵💡🔵🔵

Hi Strands fans. This could have been very straightforward for me, given I got the spangram of ROOTVEGETABLES right away, but unfortunately, as a Brit, the last two words were completely foreign to me!

After getting the spangram, the next move was clear: an anagram of "PATOTO" was segmented off in the bottom left, which was clearly POTATO. I then spotted TURNIP and BEET diagonally up from it, which combined to isolate TARO and complete the bottom half of the grid.

Now, however, I was struggling, so I had to use a clue. I've not heard of a JICAMA before, so I wasn't going to get that, and although I have heard the term RUTABAGA before, on this side of the Atlantic, we'd call one a "swede"!

Still, a fun puzzle until I ran out of answers...

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #185 right here.

Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

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