The New York Times’ Strands puzzle presents a fresh twist on the classic word search, challenging players daily with a more complex and engaging format. Like other popular word games such as Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can sometimes leave you stumped. This guide offers helpful hints, the daily spangram, and finally, the complete solutions to today’s Strands puzzle.
NYT Strands logo.
Understanding the Rules of Strands
Strands challenges you to uncover “theme words” hidden within a grid of letters. By dragging or tapping letters, you form words, confirming your selection with a double-tap on the final letter. Correct theme words highlight in blue and become locked.
Finding non-theme words (at least four letters long) also contributes to your progress. Every three such words earn you a hint, revealing the scrambled letters of a theme word for you to decipher. Every letter in the grid is used exactly once to form the theme words, with no overlap.
Each puzzle features a “spangram,” a key theme word (or phrase) spanning two opposite sides of the grid, highlighted in yellow upon discovery. The spangram often provides crucial insight into the puzzle’s theme. The ultimate goal is to solve the puzzle swiftly and efficiently, minimizing the use of hints.
Today’s Strands Puzzle Hint: Baby Talk
Today’s theme revolves around “Baby talk,” those early words and phrases that mark a child’s language development. This hint should provide a solid starting point for unraveling the hidden vocabulary.
Cracking the Code: Today’s Spangram and Solutions
Unveiling the spangram often provides the key to unlocking the remaining theme words. Today’s spangram is:
- FIRSTWORDS
With the spangram revealed, let’s delve into the complete solutions for today’s Strands puzzle. These common “baby talk” terms include:
- YUCKY
- MAMA
- DADA
- KITTY
- MORE
- MINE
- BOTTLE
- BYEBYE
Hopefully, this guide helps you conquer today’s Strands challenge. Remember to apply these strategies and utilize the spangram effectively to improve your puzzle-solving skills.
