Today's NYT Strands Answer

Strands is a themed word-search puzzle with a daily clue, hidden theme words, and one spangram that crosses the board. The solved grid below traces each answer in the direction it appears.

Reveal the spangram or individual theme words when you need a nudge. The animated paths show the letter order, which is often more useful than a plain word list.

How to Play

Strands gives you a grid of letters and a short theme clue. Find words that match the theme by connecting adjacent letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. A word path can bend, but each letter in that path must connect to the next one.

The spangram is the special answer that describes the overall theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. Finding it early can make the rest of the theme words easier because it tells you what kind of answers the puzzle wants.

If you find non-theme words, the game can build toward a hint. That hint highlights letters for an unsolved theme word, but you still need to trace the correct path. When solving without hints, scan corners and edges, look for common endings, and use the theme clue to decide whether a word is actually part of the set.