BLEND

DEFINITION — ETYMOLOGY

Pun Play: It wasn’t too MERGE trouble.

My Gameplay: PIOUS, HATER, JELLY, BLEED, BLEND.

Clean path today: PIOUS opened lanes and cleared duplicates. HATER lit up the E and narrowed vowels. JELLY confirmed the E and brought L into the mix. A probe with BLEED locked the front half and exposed the final consonant. From there, BLEND was the only snug fit for a tidy finish. Have a tantalizing Thursday. On to tomorrow!