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For the Wednesday, January 21, 2026, NYT Strands puzzle, game #689, the theme is “That’s not very polite.” The spangram is DONTBERUDE. If you want to avoid seeing the remaining answers, stop after the hint section below.
Hints for the January 21 Strands puzzle
Theme hint
Think about bad behavior.
First-letter clues
In the puzzle’s listed order, the theme-word initials are BU, GL, ST, PO, SH, TE, IN. The spangram begins with DO.
Spangram
DONTBERUDE is the spangram. It has 10 letters and runs from the top edge at column 3 to the bottom edge at column 3, mixing vertical and horizontal stretches. A spangram describes the theme and connects two opposite sides of the board; it can consist of two words.
All January 21, 2026 Strands answers
Full answer reveal:
- GLOAT
- TEASE
- BURP
- SHOUT
- STARE
- POINT
- INTERRUPT
- Spangram: DONTBERUDE
How Strands hints work
Strands lets you uncover clues progressively: finding three non-theme words earns a hint, which reveals the letters of a theme word. You can use that mechanic before checking the first-letter clues or full answer list above.
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This guide covers Wednesday, January 21, 2026, NYT Strands game #689. January 21, 2025 also had a Strands puzzle, so the year matters when looking up an older answer.
