The October 16 Strands puzzle is game #227 from 2024, not the different puzzle published on October 16, 2025. Its theme clue is “How Poe-tic,” and its spangram is THERAVEN. Use the spoiler-light hints below before opening the full answer list.
Spoiler warning: The answer section below reveals every word in the grid.
Quick answer: The spangram is THERAVEN. The six theme words are DREARY, MIDNIGHT, NEVERMORE, PONDERED, WEAK, and WEARY.
Hints for Strands #227
Start with the theme
The theme clue is “How Poe-tic,” a wordplay reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven. The puzzle’s word set draws on the poem’s mood and language. TechRadar’s October 16, 2024 guide connects the theme to the poem.
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Use in-game hint words
These sample words can help unlock hints in the game; they are not answers: WEAR, WINK, DINNER, MIND, MINE, and PANG.
Hint for the spangram
Think of a black bird. The reported path starts at the top of the fifth column and ends at the bottom of the fourth column.
Full answers for October 16, 2024
Spoilers ahead: the complete solution is listed below.
- DREARY
- MIDNIGHT
- NEVERMORE
- PONDERED
- WEAK
- WEARY
- Spangram: THERAVEN
Why the date says 2024
The game number identifies the date: #227 was published on October 16, 2024. October 16, 2025 was game #592, with a different theme, “And the category is…,” and a different answer set. The puzzle-specific reporting from Try Hard Guides and HintPulse also lists the #227 answers.
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A note on the puzzle’s theme
TechRadar Global Editor in Chief Marc McLaren said, “Strands is at its best when it’s inclusive, when the puzzles are those that people could have a good guess at even if they didn’t know the specifics.” That is his assessment of the game, rather than a description of a verified player response. NYT Games is the place to play Strands.
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