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NYT Daily • August 1, 2025

Medieval characters

Answer:

RUNES

Hint:

["**Hint:** \"Ancient symbols carved in stone or wood.\"\n\nThis hint points to the visual and historical nature of runes without directly stating the answer. It suggests their use as written characters while keeping the medieval context intact."]

Explanation:

**Explanation:** The clue *"Medieval characters"* leads to the answer **"RUNES"** through a straightforward definition. Runes are ancient alphabetic symbols used by Germanic peoples, particularly during the medieval period, making them literal "characters" (letters or symbols) from that era. There is no complex wordplay or pun here—just a direct reference to historical writing systems. The term "characters" cleverly hints at both written symbols and the idea of figures from a bygone time, reinforcing the connection to runes.

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