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New York Times (NYT) has ventured into yet another genre of fun and challenging puzzles with the creation of what it describes as Strands – a word game based on a word search formula. Website: Strands was first opened in beta on March 4, 2024, and is simple, free, and has become the daily favourite of passionate puzzlers focusing on solving strategies, vocabulary, and a hint of imagination.
Instead of a usual word search where there is a grid of words which must be connected in straight lines, Strands is a dynamic 6*8 grid with words that can turn at any angle. The goal is to find a certain number of words associated with a particular subject and, in each puzzle, players will have a different experience. Those two are standard, but the game adds an interesting twist to the standard crossword, a “spangram”, which is a word, or two words placed from one edge of the grid to the opposite one, making the find even more successful.
Every day, a new puzzle comes out along with its specific topical clue and after which number of words are to be found? For instance, the puzzle for January 6, 2025, was created under the theme ‘In neutral’, where players are supposed to look for words related to neutral colours. The help is given to the players and there is a clue to the general theme given by the spangram. To ensure that the game does not get boring, an update is released daily, so players are forced to come back to play a new level.
To be more specific, a spangram in NYT Strands is, it is a particular word or phrase that intersects both horizontal and vertical margins of the puzzle grid. In general, it is longer and contains more letters, and most of the time is related to the topic of the puzzle.
Think of world-famous and renowned ‘ladies’.
These are the words or rather names that include 'Lady' in their name.
Look for Long Words: Spangrams typically stretch across the grid, often bending or curving. They can be longer or more prominent than regular words.
Use the Clue: Each puzzle provides a thematic clue. The spangram will usually fit the theme, so use this as guidance.
Trace the Path: Spangrams often connect opposing edges. Start from one edge and follow the word’s twists.
Cross-Check: As you find other words, the remaining letters might reveal part of the spangram.
NYT Strands Spangram for Jan 07: ‘Horizontal’.
Jan 07 Spangram is Ladies.
Finding the spangram gives a sense of completion and ties the puzzle’s theme together.
Since its beta release, Strands has received encouragement for bringing novelty to the genre of word search games. The reasons include the fact that the game makes the players feel smarter and the appearance of a new perspective on the familiar type of game. Ian Bogost of The Atlantic opined that the game is of the kind that “draws on a familiar format everyone wants”, and iterates that format while invoking comparisons to other games but without requiring users to have command of them.
NYT Strands is a part of the NYT Games family, also containing other favourite games, such as Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Connections. This integration enables one to have a variety of instant games which cover the areas of speciality, and skill level, all under the NYT Games spectrum. The new success of Strands has led to the consideration and expanded appreciation of NYT Games by a broader demographic of appreciative puzzlers.
Finger
Slipper
Bird
Gaga
Liberty
Bunny
Marmalade
Ladies
Strands reflects the mission of the New York Times to offer people captivating and challenging material to consume. These activities are engaging and entertaining yet they require players to think about their vocabulary and use critical problem-solving skills in the Strands word search. Regardless of how frequently a person uses his skills or whether a person likes to solve crossword puzzles daily, Strands offers a way to enjoy language challenges every day.
