Strands is the latest daily puzzle sensation from The New York Times. While it shares similarities with classic word searches, it adds a twist that will make even experienced puzzlers work a little harder. It takes a sharp eye to conquer this puzzle!
Just like with Wordle, Connections, or the Mini Crossword, some days Strands can be tricky to crack. If you find yourself stuck, don’t worry—you’re not alone! It’s okay to seek a little help when needed. If you need a hand solving today’s Strands puzzle, keep reading for the answers.
How to Play Strands
The main goal of Strands is to find hidden “theme words” in a grid of letters. To play, you’ll drag or tap the letters to form words, and once you’re sure of your word, double-tap the last letter to confirm it. If your word is correct, the letters will turn blue and become unselectable.
Now, here’s the fun part: even if the word you find isn’t one of the theme words, it’s still valuable! For every three non-theme words you discover (as long as they’re at least four letters long), you’ll earn a hint. A hint reveals some letters of a theme word, giving you a head start to unscramble it.
Every single letter on the board is used, and none of them overlap, meaning each letter is part of only one word.
In every Strands puzzle, there’s also something called a “spangram.” This is a special word (or words) that relates to the theme of the puzzle and stretches from one side of the grid to the other. When you find the spangram, it will light up in yellow.
The challenge is to complete the puzzle as quickly as possible while using as few hints as you can!
Hint for Today’s Puzzle
Today’s theme is: “Special delivery.” Here’s a nudge: Think about what essentials you need for a newborn baby.
Today’s Strands Puzzle Answers
To get you started, here’s the spangram (the special word that spans the puzzle grid):
BABYGEAR
And here are the rest of today’s theme words:
- CRIB
- SWING
- BLANKET
- PLAYPEN
- STROLLER
- HIGHCHAIR
With these words, you should have everything you need to solve today’s puzzle!