Spoiler warning: The hints below preserve the puzzle’s answer reveal, but the full solution appears farther down. This is the historical NYT Strands puzzle for Saturday, January 18, 2025—not a current daily puzzle.
Hints for Strands #321
- Each theme phrase begins with the same title: Captain.
- The spangram names the shared title or role in the phrases. TechRadar’s clue for it was “Leader of the gang.”
- Think of well-known characters and names that complete “Captain ___.”
How the Strands board works
The puzzle uses a 6-by-8 letter grid. Trace connected letters to make theme words; the spangram describes the theme and touches at least two sides of the grid. The completed answer set uses every letter once. Finding three valid non-theme words of four or more letters earns a hint that highlights a theme word.
Full solution: January 18, 2025
Stop here if you do not want the answers revealed.
Theme clue: “O ___! My ___!”
Theme answers
- PLANET
- HOOK
- CRUNCH
- OBVIOUS
- KANGAROO
- UNDERPANTS
Spangram
CAPTAIN
Together, the words form Captain Planet, Captain Hook, Captain Crunch, Captain Obvious, Captain Kangaroo, and Captain Underpants. The clue points to the common title preceding each name.
Difficulty note
TechRadar labeled the puzzle “Moderate” and reported using two hints; those describe that guide writer’s experience, not an official or universal difficulty rating. TechRadar’s January 18 guide and Forbes’s January 17 preview agree on the clue, spangram, and answer list.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
#1 Best Overall
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