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October 18 has different NYT Strands answers depending on the year. For 2025, game #594’s theme is “Get to work …” and its spangram is RUNNINGLATE. If you meant October 18, 2024, game #229 has a different theme and solution set.
October 18, 2025: game #594 hints
The theme clue is “Get to work …” The answers are reasons or excuses someone might be late for work. For a gradual nudge, try the clue words below before opening the answer list.
Clue words to earn in-game hints
Find these words in the grid to trigger the game’s hints: THEN, HEAT, CURTAIN, GATE, STARE, LOSE, and RUCTION. In Strands, non-theme words of four or more letters count toward a hint; each three such words earn one hint that highlights a theme word, according to Try Hard Guides’ description of the game.
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The spangram has 11 letters. TechRadar reports that it runs from the left edge at the fourth row to the right edge at the third row.
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Spoilers: 2025 answers
Theme words: ALARM, CLOSURE, CONSTRUCTION, DETOUR, WEATHER.
Spangram: RUNNINGLATE.
October 18, 2024: game #229 answers
If you meant the earlier October 18 puzzle, its theme clue is “All wrapped up.” The answers are EMPANADA, GYOZA, PIEROGI, RAVIOLI, SAMOSA, and WONTON. The spangram is DUMPLINGS.
Rank #2
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Why the year matters
The date alone does not identify a Strands puzzle: October 18, 2024 was game #229, while October 18, 2025 was game #594, and their themes and answers are unrelated. October 18, 2026 is still in the future as of September 28, 2026, so an answer for that date is not yet available.
“Today” can also depend on timezone. TechRadar says a new puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone, so players in different locations can be on different calendar-day puzzles at the same moment.
Rank #3
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- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
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How to use hints without spoiling the whole puzzle
- Confirm the year and game number before using an answer list.
- Read the theme clue first and search for the matching words in the grid.
- If you are stuck, find non-theme words of at least four letters; three count toward an in-game hint, which highlights one theme word.
- Use clue words or the spangram’s length and route as further nudges, then reveal the answer list only when you want the full solution.
Try Hard Guides describes Strands as a word-search-style game: theme words are hidden in a letter grid, and the spangram describes the theme while touching the far left and right sides.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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