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March 15, 2026 
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This puzzle, by Miranda Kany, features such a well-executed double theme that I found this to be a really fun solve. Sunday puzzles aren’t that much harder than those on Monday or Tuesday, but their larger size means they take a while longer to solve. In her constructor notes, Ms. Kany said, “I was listening to the audiobook of George Eliot’s masterwork while mulling over this puzzle, when the title suddenly hit me with its dual meaning.” But, she wondered, “Would it fit?” Learn more about how she made this puzzle in the Wordplay column.
Puzzles You May Have Missed
Crossplay Tip
By Seth Lipkin Seth Lipkin is an expert player of crossword games. |
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Starting plays: Your first play of the game must cover the center square of the board, and it’s valuable to try to reach one of the double-word squares four tiles away. To boost your score even more, try to place your most valuable tile on the double-letter square two squares away from the center. For instance, while DROVE with the E on the center scores 24, ROVED with the D on the center square doubles the V and nets you 34!
Connections Quandary
Here’s the hardest category from Tuesday, March 10. What connects these four things? See the answer in the P.S.
Strands
Last week’s hardest Strands puzzle was “SURVIVAL MODE,” from Wednesday, March 11 — 81.43 percent of solvers were able to complete it.
Last week’s easiest Strands puzzle was “HEY,” from Tuesday, March 10 — 94.84 percent of solvers were able to complete it.
Strands puzzles last week — from March 6 to 12 — were a little bit easier than those from the week before.
Wordle Weekly Recap
Hardest word: GUNKY, from Friday, March 6.
Average guesses: 4.91, with 7.32 percent of players solving in three or fewer.
Easiest word: SHOAL, from Tuesday, March 10.
Average guesses: 3.85, with 38.61 percent of players solving in three or fewer.
The Wordle answers last week — from March 6 to 12 — were roughly equal in difficulty compared with those from the week before.
Spelling Bee Hive
Overall, the Spelling Bee hives last week — from March 6 to 12 — were much easier than those from the week before. Of our subscribers who played last week, 42.88 percent hit Genius at least once.
Last week’s hardest puzzle: Friday, March 6, had the hardest pangram, with only 22.49 percent of users finding it.
Friday’s pangram: UPFIELD
Letter set: U D E F I L P
Relax With Us
 | By Tracy Bennett Tracy Bennett edits Wordle and Strands. |
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Music in its many forms is my go-to way to reset emotionally and spiritually. A voice lesson allows me to shift my energy and breath in a personal way, igniting a sense of vitality. A chorus rehearsal helps me celebrate in community what is beautiful or mourn what is painful. Playing the ukulele has me using my hands and fingers to build muscle memory in new ways. Finally, going to a live local concert and receiving music as a listener is a balm to my soul. Music heals and transforms.
How are we doing?
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Correction: Last Wednesday’s edition of Gameplay misstated the answer to the Connections Quandary. It was terms beginning with N.B.A. teams, not astronomical terms with a letter added.
P.S. The answer to today’s Connections Quandary is that they are all words that mean “punch.”
