NYT Strands is a daily word-search puzzle with a theme clue instead of a list of words. Connect touching letters to find every theme word and a special answer called the spangram, which crosses the grid and identifies the theme. Every letter on the board belongs to the completed solution.
How does NYT Strands work?
The puzzle presents a 6-by-8 grid of 48 letters and a short clue. Your task is to trace the hidden words that fit that clue. Unlike a classic word search, you are not given a list of answers: you must infer the theme and discover its words from the letters. The New York Times’ launch announcement describes the game’s rules, while a 2026 scholarly paper on NYT games explains the grid and spangram mechanics.
Connect adjacent letters
Trace each word through letters that touch horizontally, vertically or diagonally. A path can bend as it moves across the grid, but it cannot use the same cell twice in one word. The letters in a word must form one continuous path.
Find the theme words and spangram
Most answers are theme words that fit the clue. The remaining special answer is the spangram: a word or phrase that reaches between two opposite sides of the grid and expresses the puzzle’s theme. It counts as part of the solution, and the completed set uses every letter.
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What is a spangram?
A spangram is Strands’ theme-revealing answer. It connects opposite sides of the board, so its route can help make an initially broad clue more specific. The spangram is a useful lead, not a required first move: you can find the theme words in any order, and the goal is to complete all the answers.
How do hints work in Strands?
Find three valid words that are not theme answers to earn a hint. The hint highlights the letters of a theme word, helping you identify its path. Those extra words do not need to fit the clue; they are a way to earn help while exploring the grid. The hint trigger is described in the NYT launch announcement and the 2026 scholarly account.
An independent guide reports that hints reveal theme words rather than the spangram, and that using one changes the “solved without hints” statistic but not the daily streak. These details are guide-reported; check the current game interface for its latest behavior. Strands Today’s guide to playing also says incorrect guesses do not incur a penalty.
A beginner strategy for solving the grid
- Start with the clue. Brainstorm a few possible categories or meanings before searching letter by letter. Keep the clue in mind as you consider possible words.
- Scan for a possible spangram. Look for a connected route that could reach from one side of the grid to its opposite. If you find it, its meaning may clarify the theme and narrow the possibilities for the other answers.
- Trace likely theme words. Test words that fit the clue by following adjacent letters. Remember that diagonal steps and bends are allowed, but a single path cannot reuse a cell.
- Explore other valid chains if stuck. A plausible word that does not fit the theme may still count toward the three-word hint trigger. Use the hint when it would help you locate a remaining theme answer.
- Finish every answer. The spangram is not a prerequisite to solving the rest. Continue until you have found all theme words and the spangram, using the full set of letters.
How Strands differs from a classic word search
| Feature | Classic word search | NYT Strands |
|---|---|---|
| What you search for | Usually a supplied list of words | Hidden words inferred from a theme clue |
| Letter paths | Depends on the puzzle; the cited Strands guide describes its own rules | Letters can connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and paths can bend |
| Special answer | No equivalent is established here | A spangram connects opposite sides and names the theme |
Where to play
The NYT launch announcement said Strands was available on desktop and mobile web, with an app rollout to follow. A current independent guide reports that the daily puzzle is free and the official archive requires a subscription, but current access and subscription terms should be confirmed on the NYT Strands page before relying on them.
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