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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →For Thursday, April 16, 2026, NYT Strands is about leisure time. The theme clue is “This is not working.” If you meant the April 16, 2025 puzzle, it was a different, golf-themed game; its answers appear below.
Progressive hints for April 16, 2026
Stop at the first hint that helps if you want to preserve the solve.
- Theme clue: “This is not working.”
- Gentler nudge: Leisure time.
- Spangram clue: It has 10 letters and runs from the left side of the board at row 1 to the right side at row 7.
April 16, 2026 Strands answers
Spoilers below: the theme words are HOBBY, PASTIME, INTEREST, SIDELINE and RECREATION. The spangram is JUSTFORFUN.
TechRadar lists NEST, BRUT, PURE, SLEPT, MATE and FIRED as words that can unlock the in-game hints. In Strands, three non-theme words earn a hint that reveals letters in a theme word.
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The date repeats each year, and the two April 16 puzzles have unrelated answer sets. The 2026 puzzle is game #774; the April 16, 2025 puzzle was golf-themed.
| Date | Theme clue | Theme words | Spangram |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 16, 2026 (game #774) | “This is not working.” | HOBBY, PASTIME, INTEREST, SIDELINE, RECREATION | JUSTFORFUN |
| April 16, 2025 | “Fore!” | DRIVER, IRON, WEDGE, WOOD, CHIPPER, PUTTER, UTILITY | GOLF CLUBS |
What a Strands spangram is
The spangram is separate from the other theme words: it describes the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. It can be a phrase, as JUSTFORFUN is in the 2026 puzzle. Theme words connect letters on the board and fill it without overlapping; found theme words are highlighted blue, while the spangram is highlighted yellow. The game instruction reproduced by Parade is: “Find theme words to fill the board.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where and when to play
Strands is a daily game available through NYT Games on the web and mobile. TechRadar says the daily puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone, so the puzzle called “today’s” may differ by location. TechRadar’s April 16, 2026 hints and answers and Parade’s April 16, 2026 guide report the 2026 answer set. For the earlier puzzle, see Forbes or ComicBook.com.
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