The New York Times’ Strands presents a fresh, challenging twist on the classic word search. Sharpen your word-finding skills and prepare to unravel the hidden “theme words” within the grid. This guide offers helpful hints, reveals the spangram, and finally, unveils today’s Strands answers.
NYT Strands logo.
Decoding Strands: A Gameplay Guide
Strands tasks you with locating and forming “theme words” concealed within a letter grid. Drag or tap letters to create words, double-tapping the last letter to confirm your selection. Correct theme words highlight in blue and become locked.
Finding non-theme words isn’t fruitless. Each three non-theme words (at least four letters long) earns you a hint—revealing the letters of a theme word, leaving you to unscramble it. Every letter in the grid contributes to a theme word, used once and only once, without overlap.
Each puzzle features a “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) reflecting the puzzle’s theme. This word stretches across the grid, touching two opposite sides, and highlights in yellow when found. The ultimate goal? Swift completion with minimal hints.
Today’s Strands Challenge: “Ouch!”
Today’s theme centers around things that sting. Here’s a hint to nudge you along: think of something that delivers a sharp, piercing pain.
Unveiling Today’s Strands Solutions
Today’s Spangram Revealed
The spangram, a key to unlocking the puzzle’s theme, is:
- STINGERS
Strands Puzzle Solution
Today’s Complete Strands Answers
Ready for the full reveal? Today’s Strands answers are:
- SCORPION
- JELLYFISH
- HORNET
- BUMBLEBEE
- PLATYPUS
Mastering Strands: Tips and Strategies
While the provided solutions offer immediate relief, mastering Strands requires strategy. Look for prefixes and suffixes, and try to identify common letter combinations. Don’t underestimate the value of finding non-theme words to earn hints. And remember, practice makes perfect. The more you play, the better you’ll become at spotting those hidden words.
