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Strands rewards thematic thinking, not speed, pushing players to connect meaning across every letter deliberately.
The spangram reveals the core idea, turning scattered words into one clear emotional response instantly.
Hints guide without spoiling, helping players recover momentum when the grid feels overwhelming during play.
NYT Strands may resemble a classic word search, but it behaves very differently. Instead of hunting for random words, the game asks players to uncover a shared idea hidden inside a dense grid of letters. The challenge lies not in spotting words quickly, but in recognising how they connect.
Available on the New York Times website and the NYT Games app, Strands joins popular titles like Wordle and Connections, but it tests a different mental skill: thematic reasoning.
Each day presents a fresh 6×8 grid filled with letters and a short clue hinting at a common theme. Your task is to find all the words linked to that idea.
When you correctly identify a theme word, it stays highlighted in blue, helping you visualise progress across the board. Every correct answer pushes the puzzle closer to clarity.
Every Strands puzzle revolves around a special word or phrase known as the spangram. This term explains what all the theme words have in common.
It connects at least two sides of the grid
It can start or end anywhere
Once solved, it appears in yellow
Finding the spangram often transforms confusion into instant understanding.
Strands offers flexibility, but no guesswork:
Letters can connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
You can change direction mid-word
Every letter in the grid is used exactly once
On touchscreen devices, double-tap the final letter to submit a word.
Hints must be earned. Identify three valid words of four letters or more that don’t belong to the theme, and the Hint button unlocks. Using it highlights the letters of one undiscovered theme word, giving you a nudge without giving away the solution.
Theme hint: Yay!!!
Additional hint: Excellent news
Together, these clues point toward expressions of excitement and celebration. The puzzle includes seven theme words, including the spangram.
The spangram is:
THAT’S GREAT
It anchors the puzzle by capturing the emotional reaction shared by all the theme words.
The full set of theme words:
HOORAY
THAT’S GREAT
WHOOPEE
HUZZAH
BOOYAH
YIPPEE
AWESOME
Each word represents a different way people react when something goes right.
Also Read: NYT Strands Answers for January 10, 2026: Procrastinator Spangram Explained
NYT Strands succeeds because it values insight over speed. It encourages players to pause, test ideas, and think in terms of meaning rather than letters alone. Every solved grid feels deliberate, every spangram brings order, and every completed puzzle delivers a small but satisfying mental win.
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