Looking for a new daily brain challenge? Strands is the latest addition to the New York Times Games collection, and it’s quickly earning a place alongside fan favorites like Wordle, Connections, and The Mini. If you enjoy puzzles that make you think a little harder, this one’s for you.
On the surface, Strands might look like a basic word search. It has a clever twist. Instead of simply finding hidden words, your job is to discover theme-based words hidden in a grid of letters. And the more you play, the sharper your eyes (and your mind) will become.
How to Play NYT Strands
Every Strands puzzle begins with a hidden theme. Your job? Find all the words that match that theme.
Here’s how it works:
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You interact with the puzzle by dragging your finger (or cursor) across letters to form words.
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Once you form a word, double-tap the last letter to submit it.
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If it’s a theme word, it will be highlighted in blue and locked in. Those letters are no longer available.
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If it’s not a theme word, don’t worry—it still helps. For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll earn a hint. That hint will unscramble one of the theme words on the board.
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The trick? Every single letter in the grid is used once, and only once. There’s no overlap, so the final board will be completely filled in.
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One special word in every puzzle is the spangram. It’s the word (or phrase) that ties the whole theme together. It stretches from one side of the board to the other and is highlighted in yellow when found.
The goal is to solve the puzzle efficiently, without relying too much on hints.
Hint for Today’s Strands Puzzle
Today’s theme: Pet store purchase
And if you’re still scratching your head, here’s a helpful hint:
“Don’t tap the glass.”
Think about what you might buy at a pet store that you’d be told not to tap on.
Today’s NYT Strands Spangram
If you want a major clue, here’s the puzzle’s central word:
AQUARIUM
That should help you make sense of the theme and maybe spot a few more related words.
Full Answers for Today’s NYT Strands Puzzle
If you’re ready to see all the words that make up today’s solution, here they are:
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FISH
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TANK
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PUMP
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ROCKS
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PLANTS
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FILTER
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THERMOMETER
Together with AQUARIUM as the spangram, these words round out a full set of aquarium essentials, everything you’d expect to see in a well-stocked fish tank.
Some Strands puzzles are more straightforward; others are a bit more obscure. Either way, they’re a great daily exercise to sharpen your vocabulary and logic. And if today wasn’t your best, a fresh puzzle drops every night at midnight.
You can play Strands directly through the New York Times Games website or on the NYT Games app for iOS and Android.