Doubled for Saturday, September 14, 2024
One picture, one hidden three-word chain. The first two words make a familiar phrase, the last two make another, and the middle word belongs to both. New to the game? Read how to play first.
Hints
Open them one at a time. Each one gives away a little more than the last.
Hint 1
The answer is 3 words long, with 4, 6 and 8 letters.
Hint 2
The shared word - the one that belongs to both phrases - has 6 letters and starts with S.
Hint 3
The first phrase is 2 words, the second is 2, and they overlap on one of them.
Hint 4
A wave of uprisings across the Middle East, then a thorough annual tidy.
The answer
Stuck, or want to check? Opening this reveals the whole answer.
Reveal the answer
Arab Cleaning
Arab spring and Spring cleaning, joined on Spring.
Arab spring
The Arab Spring was the wave of protests and uprisings that spread across the Middle East and North Africa from late 2010.
Spring cleaning
Spring cleaning is the thorough clean of a home traditionally done once a year when the weather turns.
How players did
Across 1,041 plays, 34% got the whole answer in one guess, 9% solved it without a miss, 9% got there after at least one wrong guess, 33% used a hint or finished on their last chance, and 15% did not get it.
This puzzle ran on September 14, 2024, September 14, 2025 and September 14, 2026.