Advertisement
Strands is the newest word puzzle from The New York Times, and if you’re a fan of games like Wordle, Connections, or the Mini Crossword, you’re probably going to love this one too. But don’t be fooled — Strands is a twisty, brain-tickling upgrade of the classic word search, and it can get pretty tricky.
Some puzzles are easy breezy, but others? They’ll have you staring at your screen wondering if you’ve suddenly forgotten how words work. And hey — there’s no shame in needing a little help. If today’s puzzle is giving you a hard time, scroll down to see the full answers and a bit of a nudge in the right direction.
How to play NYT Strands
The goal in Strands is to find “theme words” hidden in a grid of letters. These aren’t just random words — they all connect to a certain topic or idea (a theme).
Here’s how it works:
-
Tap or drag across the grid to form words.
-
When you get a correct theme word, the letters light up blue and disappear from the board.
-
Found a real word that isn’t part of the theme? No worries — every three valid “non-theme” words you find (at least four letters long) earns you a hint. That hint will unscramble a theme word and give you a boost.
One more thing: every letter in the puzzle will be used once and only once to form the theme words. No leftovers!
Each Strands puzzle includes one special word called the spangram. It sums up the whole theme and stretches across the board, connecting two opposite sides. When you find it, it lights up yellow — kind of like a bonus round clue.
Your goal is to crack the full puzzle using as few hints as possible — and maybe even beat your personal best time!
Hint for Today’s NYT Strands Puzzle (April 4)
Theme: “Step on it!”
Hmm… sounds like we’re talking about something you literally walk on. Floors, maybe?
Spangram:
FLOORING
This word touches both sides of the board and sets the stage for the rest of today’s answers.
Today’s NYT Strands Answers:
All of these are types of flooring:
-
CONCRETE
-
HARDWOOD
-
TERRAZZO
-
LINOLEUM
-
LAMINATE