Strands is a fresh daily puzzle challenge from the renowned New York Times. Putting a twist on the classic word search, this puzzle will test your observation skills and vocabulary.
Similar to popular games like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can present a challenge on certain days. It’s absolutely okay to seek some assistance when you’re stuck. If you’re in need of the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, take a look at the solved puzzle below.
How to play Strands
To tackle a Strands puzzle, your objective is to uncover the “theme words” concealed within the grid of letters. Use your skills to manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words; double-tap the final letter to confirm your selection. Correctly identified words will be highlighted in blue and become unselectable.
Even if you discover a word that is not part of the theme, it can still assist you! For every three non-theme words that are at least four letters long, you’ll receive a hint — revealing the letters of one of the theme words for you to unscramble.
Every single letter on the grid contributes to spelling out the theme words with no overlap. Each letter is used once and only once.
Each puzzle features a unique “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) describing the puzzle’s theme that connects two opposite sides of the board. Once found, the spangram will be highlighted in yellow.
The aim is to complete the puzzle swiftly while minimizing the use of hints.
Today’s Strand answers
Let’s kick things off by sharing the spangram to give you a head start in determining the theme and unraveling the rest of the puzzle on your own:
If you still require assistance, here are the remaining theme words in the puzzle:
- NOON
- CIVIC
- KAYAK
- ROTATOR
- MADAM
- RACECAR
- LEVEL
Here’s a visual reference showcasing the locations of all theme words on a completed grid:
