For Wednesday, January 28, 2026, NYT Strands game #696 has the theme “Zen state.” Start with a gentle hint below, or skip to the spangram and complete answer list if you’re ready for spoilers.
January 28 Strands hint
Think of steps someone might take to unwind and reach a calm, mindful state. That’s the puzzle’s “Zen state” theme, as reported in Forbes’ January 28 guide.
First-letter clues
If you need a nudge toward individual answers, their first two letters are:
- FO
- ME
- NO
- RE
- LI
- BR
Spangram answer
MINDFULNESS
The spangram crosses from one side of the board to the other and connects the theme. Here, MINDFULNESS is the unifying idea behind the puzzle’s calming actions and states.
All January 28 Strands answers
Spoilers: The six theme words are:
- FOCUS
- MEDITATE
- NOTICE
- RELAX
- LISTEN
- BREATHE
The date and game number are corroborated by Yahoo Tech’s January 28 listing and its January 29 guide, which identifies the previous puzzle as #696.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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