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January 20 NYT Strands focuses on shoes, highlighting various parts and components in the puzzle.
The spangram JUSTFORKICKS ties all footwear-related words together, reinforcing the playful theme.
Recognizing the category early helps locate theme words faster and makes solving more efficient.
Tuesday’s NYT Strands puzzle, January 20, steps into the world of footwear, with a clever theme centered on shoes and their components. Solvers are invited to track parts of a shoe that ‘sneak around,’ making the grid a fun blend of vocabulary, observation, and a touch of tricky terminology.
The hint to the theme of today's NYT Strands is ‘Sneak-ing Around,’ and the additional clue is ‘Foot Locker.’ Every word in today’s puzzle relates to shoes, from structural parts to familiar accessories. If players realize this footwear theme early, they will not only see the patterns but also be able to guess the related words. A challenging puzzle will be transformed into a fun vocabulary exercise about shoes.
Here are helpful hints for each word, including starting letters and approximate lengths:
SH… (8 letters) – Holds laces and keeps the foot secure
HE… (4 letters) – Rear part of the shoe that supports the heel
SO… (4 letters) – The bottom part that touches the ground
VA… (4 letters) – Front upper section of the shoe
LO… (4 letters) – Branding or emblem on a shoe
EY… (6 letters) – Metal or stitched holes for laces
TO… (6 letters) – The flap under the laces that protects the foot
The non-spangram theme words are:
SHOELACE
HEEL
SOLE
VAMP
LOGO
EYELET
TONGUE
Each word highlights a different part of a shoe, creating a cohesive theme that combines everyday knowledge with puzzle-solving.
The spangram for January 20 is JUSTFORKICKS. This phrase links the shoe theme perfectly, giving it a fun spin and emphasizing the concept of sneakers, laces, and footgear.
Pay attention to hints that suggest a category or object type.
Look for longer or unusual words first; they often stand out in the grid.
Do not forget that letters can link together in various ways, including at an angle or diagonally.
Make use of additional words that are not in the main theme to reveal the hints gradually.
The January 20 NYT Strands puzzle combines vocabulary, observation, and a playful shoes theme. Noticing the theme early on makes it easier to find the answers, and the spangram is a nice touch for completing the whole experience. This kind of daily puzzle enhances one's abilities in logic, word recognition, and discovering patterns.
