Strands is the latest puzzle from the New York Times, and it adds a challenging twist to the classic word search. You’ll need to spot theme words hidden in a grid of letters, and it can get pretty tricky!
How to Play NYT Strands
In Strands, your goal is to find the theme words that are hidden within the letter grid. You can manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words. Once you think you’ve found a theme word, double-tap the last letter to confirm it. When you’re right, the word turns blue, and those letters will no longer be available to use.
Even if you find a word that isn’t one of the theme words, it’s still helpful! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint: one of the theme words’ letters will be revealed, and all you’ll need to do is unscramble it.
The puzzle has a fun rule — every single letter is part of a theme word, and each letter is only used once. So every puzzle is packed with words, no wasted letters.
One of the most important elements is finding the “spangram” — a special theme word that connects two opposite sides of the board. This word will be highlighted in yellow when you find it.
The aim is to solve the puzzle as fast as you can, ideally without using too many hints.
Hint for Today’s Strands Puzzle
Today’s theme is “Boots and Saddles.”
A clue that might help: John Wayne.
Today’s Spangram
The spangram for today’s puzzle is:
WESTERN
Today’s NYT Strands Answers
If you’re stuck, here are today’s theme words:
- WESTERN (spangram)
- BOUNTY
- COWBOY
- DUEL
- HORSE
- OUTLAW
- SALOON
- SHERIFF
If you didn’t manage to solve it today, don’t worry! There’s always tomorrow’s puzzle to give another shot. Happy solving!