Work through the levels. Reveal the Spangram only when you’re truly ready.
Today’s clue: “Staying healthy”
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.
5 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 common form of medicine, but the puzzle focuses on services and pharmacy sections instead.
Synonymous with medicine, yet the theme words cover activities and store areas as well.
Pharmacies have aisles, but this word isn't part of the specific theme set.
a textbook decoy
The clue 'Staying healthy' was a gentle nudge toward healthcare, but the pharmacy theme only clicked after spotting MEDICINE. Once that word appeared, the drugstore context emerged, and IMMUNIZATION and REFILL quickly followed. The spangram PHARMACY was easy to spot given the grid layout and its central role. COUNTER remained tricky because its everyday meaning obscured the pharmacy sense, but once the theme was clear, CONSULT surfaced as the pharmacist interaction, completing the set.
The clue 'Staying healthy' initially seems broad, but it perfectly captures the purpose of a pharmacy. It alludes to the preventive and treatment services found there, from flu shots (IMMUNIZATION) to prescription refills (REFILL). The puzzle plays on how maintaining wellness often involves a trip to the drugstore, and the Spangram PHARMACY ties it all together elegantly. Tracy Bennett's clue is a light touch that invites solvers to think about their own health routines.
Tracy Bennett selected words that emphasize the pharmacy as a place of service, not just a product shop. Rather than listing drug names or medical conditions, the puzzle uses activities (CONSULT, REFILL), a physical touchpoint (COUNTER), and health interventions (IMMUNIZATION, MEDICINE). This choice makes the set feel like a cohesive narrative of a pharmacy visit. The Spangram PHARMACY frames it all, and the absence of obscure terms keeps the solve clean and satisfying.
