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NYTSolvers brings you today's Strands theme hint, the spangram, and the full list of answers, along with a clear explanation of how the puzzle works if this is your first time playing.
● Strands gives you a 6 by 8 board of 48 letters and one daily theme. Every hidden word connects back to that theme.
● The spangram is the one special theme word that touches two opposite sides of the board, and it usually sums up the whole puzzle.
● Finding non-theme words earns you hints. Every three non-theme words you uncover highlight the letters of one theme word.
● Use this page in stages: a light theme hint first, then the spangram if you want a bigger clue, then the full answers if you are stuck.
If you just want a nudge, start here. Our Strands hint restates the day's theme in plainer words and points you toward the kind of words you should be looking for, without giving away the spangram or any theme word outright. This is often enough to get your eyes moving in the right direction across the board.
Need more than a hint? The spangram is the single word or phrase that spans two opposite sides of the board and ties the whole day's theme together, so revealing it usually unlocks the rest of the puzzle for you. We show it letter by letter so you can stop as soon as you recognize it, or reveal the full spangram if you would rather skip straight to it.
If you want to see the complete solution, it lists every theme word for today's puzzle alongside the spangram, so you can check your board against ours and fill in anything you missed.
Strands is a daily word search-style puzzle from The New York Times that blends ideas from Spelling Bee, Connections, and a classic crossword. Each day, you get a board of 48 letters arranged 6 columns wide and 8 rows tall, along with one theme for that puzzle. Hidden inside the letters are several theme words plus one spangram, and your job is to trace them all out to clear the board.
What makes Strands different from an ordinary word search is that the words are never listed for you. The only guidance you get is the daily theme, so reading it closely and thinking about it from a few different angles is most of the challenge.
Trace connected letters across the board, in any direction, including diagonally, to spell out words related to the day's theme. Correct theme words are highlighted in blue and stay locked in place, and they never overlap with each other.
Somewhere in the board is the spangram, a word or short phrase that touches two opposite sides of the grid and captures the whole theme in one answer. It highlights in yellow once you find it, and spotting it early often makes the remaining theme words much easier to see.
If you trace a valid English word that is not part of the theme, it still counts toward a hint. Every three non-theme words, you highlight the letters of one theme word on the board, without spelling it out directly, so you always have a way forward even on a tough day.
● Read the theme twice before you touch the board, and try to think of it from more than one angle, since Strand’s themes are often a little indirect.
● Scan the four corners and edges first. Words that touch the border of the board are common, and the spangram almost always reaches from one side to the opposite side.
● Do not worry about wasting moves on non-theme words. Every valid word you find brings you closer to a free hint, so guessing is rarely a bad move.
● Once you find one theme word, look at the letters left around it. Theme words often sit close to each other on the board.
● If you are stuck, try to solve the spangram before the smaller theme words, since it usually reveals the exact angle the puzzle wants you to think from.
● Ignoring the theme and searching letter by letter at random, which takes far longer than reading the clue carefully first.
● Assuming the spangram is a single word. It is often two words joined together, such as a compound phrase that spans the board.
● Skipping non-theme words because they do not count toward the puzzle. They are free progress toward a hint and cost you nothing to try.
● Overlooking diagonal directions. Strands allow words to run in any direction, not just across or down.
About NYT Strands
NYT Strands is a daily word search puzzle from The New York Times where you trace hidden theme words and one spangram out of a 48-letter board, guided only by a daily theme.
The spangram is the one theme word or phrase in each puzzle that touches two opposite sides of the board. It sums up the day's theme and is highlighted in yellow once you find it.
You earn a hint every time you find three words that are valid English but not part of the day's theme. Each hint highlights the letters of one theme word without spelling it out for you.
Yes. Theme words and non-theme words can be traced in any direction across the board, including horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.
Strands and Connections test different skills. Connections rewards spotting shared categories among 16 words, while Strands rewards reading a theme carefully and scanning a large letter grid, so difficulty often comes down to personal strength.
Strands is available to play for free through The New York Times Games app and website, though it is also included with a Games or All Access subscription.
The New York Times does not keep an official archive of past Strands puzzles, so hints and answers are only available for the current day's puzzle.
Focus on the board's edges and corners first, since the spangram always touches two opposite sides. Trying a few non-theme words nearby can also nudge you toward a hint.