Strands, the New York Times' new word puzzle, puts the traditional word search on its head and spins it with cleverness. In contrast to grid-based words that follow straight lines, words in Strands bend and turn in all directions. The twist? Every single letter in the grid counts, so the puzzle is both fun and rewarding.
One of Strands' nicest features is the "spangram," a unique word or phrase which best describes today's theme. Stretching right across the entire grid horizontally or vertically is the basis of the puzzle. Today's theme may prove difficult, but with some appropriately placed hints, it can easily be solved.
Today's theme is "Oh, this old thing?" The expression may sound cryptic at first, but when examined more closely, the words can be seen to refer to things that are collected—often at great expense.
Today's spangram appears vertically in the grid and is none other than Collectibles.
Still stumped? A couple of additional clues are here:
One solution is a stuffed animal of an animal-like shape, beginning with "P" and ending with "E."
Another is a spring-mass figurine with an enormous head, beginning with "B" and ending with "D."
If the current puzzle is posing a problem for you, below is the complete list of words concealed within the grid:
Plushie
Comic
Vinyl
Bobblehead
Stamp
Collectibles (Spangram)
Each word relates to the subject of collectibles. From rare stamps, vintage records, to favorite comic books, these items are worth something to fans everywhere.
The New York Times has been a pioneer in puzzle-making for many years. It first published the crossword puzzle in 1942, starting a tradition that has since expanded into a wide variety of brain-twisting games. The Mini Crossword came along in 2014, followed by Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and Tiles.
Wordle was a hit in 2022, attracting millions of daily solvers. This led to other word-based puzzles, such as Connections and Strands. All three games have enthralled solvers with new formats and innovative spins on traditional puzzle mechanics.
Strands has a straightforward but compelling format:
A daily theme is given, which suggests the kinds of words concealed in the grid.
Players connect letters in a direction to create words—up, down, left, right, or diagonally.
The objective is to reveal all the themed words and, in the process, locate the spangram that runs across the board and defines the theme.
An integral part of Strands is its hint system. Discovering three unrelated words reveals letter hints for a themed word, allowing players to progress steadily without outright spoilers.
Triumph in Strands really boils down to pattern recognition and strategic thinking:
Begin with the spangram: Deciphering the theme is often facilitated by finding the longest word.
Seek out common letter combinations: Some letter combinations tend to show up regularly in theme words.
Manipulate the hint system to your advantage: Finding three unrelated words will indicate a letter clue to a missing theme word.
The current puzzle theme is a sentimental trip down the road of collectibles. From a childhood plush toy to an extremely valuable comic book, the objects hold both monetary and emotional worth for countless people. Strands continues to provide meaningful word puzzles, cementing its position as one of NYT's expanding collection of puzzles.