If you love word games, Strands is the newest daily puzzle from The New York Times, and it’s here to put your vocabulary skills to the test. Think of it as a trickier, more strategic version of a classic word search—but instead of just spotting random words, you’ll need to find specific words that fit a hidden theme.
Like Wordle, Connections, and The Mini Crossword, Strands can be a real brain teaser some days. If you ever find yourself completely stuck, don’t worry! We’ve got hints (and even full answers) to help you out.
How to Play NYT Strands
Each day, you’ll be given a grid of letters and a secret theme. Your job? Find all the “theme words” hidden within the grid. Here’s how it works:
🔹 Drag your finger or tap letters in the correct order to form a word.
🔹 Double-tap the last letter to lock in your guess.
🔹 If it’s a correct theme word, it will be highlighted in blue and removed from the grid.
But here’s the twist—if you find other valid words that aren’t theme words, they still count! For every three non-theme words (at least four letters long) that you discover, the game will reveal some letters from one of the theme words, making it easier for you to unscramble it.
The Spangram hint
Every puzzle has one special “spangram”—a longer word that represents the puzzle’s overall theme. The spangram always stretches across the board from one side to the other and is highlighted in yellow once you find it.
And here’s an important rule—every single letter in the grid gets used exactly once in the final solution. No overlapping, no leftovers!
Your goal? Solve the puzzle as fast as possible with as few hints as you can!
Hints for Today’s Strands Puzzle
Today’s Theme: “Getting Closure”
Hint: Think about things that help keep objects together.
Today’s NYT Spangram:
FASTENERS
Today’s Theme Words:
- CLASP
- BUTTON
- SNAP
- VELCRO
- MAGNET
- BUCKLE
- ZIPPER
Each day’s puzzle brings a new challenge, so if you didn’t crack it today, don’t sweat it—tomorrow’s Strands will be waiting for you with a fresh set of words to uncover!