NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, June 23 (game #112)

Sunday is always a good day to play Strands, because in my house at least there’s more of a lazy, do-nothing feel to things. If only all days could be like that, eh? Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy today’s instalment very much. Hopefully your experience is different.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games. 

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #112) – hint #1 – today’s theme

NYT Strands today (game #112) – hint #2 – clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CHEEK
• LINK
• SOCK
• BATON
• CHAIR
• TOUCH

NYT Strands today (game #112) – hint #3 – spangram

NYT Strands today (game #112) – hint #4 – spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #112) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #112, are…

• CHILIS
• SIZZLER
• CHECKERS
• SUBWAY
• OUTBACK
• SONIC
• SPANGRAM: CHAINLINK

• My rating: Frustrating
• My score: Perfect

The American-centric nature of Strands can be a little frustrating sometimes. Yes, the game appears in a New York newspaper, so I understand that there’s going to be a bias that way, but a puzzle like today’s is just no fun for people outside of the US.

The theme – I think – is chain restaurants, although that being the case I have no idea why the spangram is CHAINLINK. What’s the ‘link’ bit refer to? And why is SUBWAY in there, when it’s a sandwich shop, not a restaurant? Maybe they’re all just chain eateries, rather than restaurants… And are SONIC and SIZZLER and OUTBACK and CHECKERS that well known? Maybe they are in the States – but they’re not exactly Burger King. CHILIS was the only one I’d heard of, SUBWAY aside, and that was only thanks to The Office.

Anyway, I solved it all, by trial and error, but had zero fun in doing so. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but it’s a shame Strands is not more inclusive in the way that Wordle usually is.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday 22 June, game #111)

• OPOSSUM
• SKUNK
• COYOTE
• AARDVARK
• LEOPARD
• WOMBAT
• SPANGRAM: NOCTURNAL