Work through the levels. Reveal the Spangram only when you’re truly ready.
Today’s clue: “Fresh from the market”
A gentle direction — no specifics.
Closer — the category is coming into focus.
Near-direct — only read if you’re stuck.
Direction only.
Getting closer.
Near-direct.
6 theme words — lengths in random order
Spaces not counted in total
All theme words — shuffled
These words fit the theme on the surface, but aren’t part of today’s solution. Knowing them ahead of time can save you minutes of searching.
A classic summer vegetable many would expect, but it isn't part of today's set.
Another garden-fresh item often harvested in warm months, yet absent.
A juicy summer fruit that might appear in the grid, but it's not hidden here.
A versatile allium that can be found at markets alongside the actual answers, but it’s a trap.
a textbook decoy
A difficulty of 4.5 stems from the straightforward clue 'Fresh from the market' immediately suggesting produce, but longer answers like ZUCCHINI and PEPPER require careful scanning. Once you spot CARROT or TOMATO, the category narrows to warm-weather vegetables, and the spangram SUMMERHARVEST falls into place as the seasonal umbrella. The spangram’s length makes it easy to identify once you’re looking for a phrase that spans the grid. The main subtle challenge is that the puzzle includes only a specific six, so solvers must resist the lure of other common summer items like squash or beans that aren’t part of the set.
The clue 'Fresh from the market' conjures the image of a weekend farmers’ market where just-picked produce is stacked high. ‘Fresh’ implies these items are at their seasonal peak—not stored or shipped—while ‘market’ hints at a specific place you’d find them together. The spangram SUMMERHARVEST makes it explicit: the puzzle is a basket of the summer’s finest. It’s a warm, nostalgic clue that practically encourages you to think about what you’d buy on a sunny Saturday morning in August.
The editor’s tight focus on six specific warm-weather crops avoids the sprawling breadth of all possible summer produce. By skipping berries, stone fruits, and roots like beets, the set feels particularly coherent—each word is a heavy, sun-loving crop that defines late-summer eating. The inclusion of ZUCCHINI alongside more familiar picks is a clever touch, and the melon adds a sweet note. The spangram SUMMERHARVEST frames the whole thing as a singular event, making the puzzle feel like a snapshot of seasonal abundance rather than a generic list.
