Word games / Strands A six-by-eight grid of letters hiding a set of themed words, plus a 'spangram' that touches both sides of the board and names the theme.
Publisher The New York Times
Cost Free, with a New York Times account
How often One puzzle a day
Time 5–15 minutes Every letter on the board belongs to exactly one answer. Words connect through adjacent letters, including diagonals, and can bend. One answer is the spangram: it spans the grid side to side or top to bottom and describes the theme. Finding three valid non-theme words earns a hint. The puzzle ends when every letter has been used. Every letter is used, so the endgame is deduction rather than hunting The theme clue turns a word search into something closer to a riddle Hints are earned rather than free, which keeps them meaningful More forgiving than Connections — there is no mistake limit Sometimes closer to a word search than a puzzle, depending on the theme A vague theme clue can make the opening feel arbitrary Bending words are easy to miss on a screen Less replayable than the others — once seen, the board is solved Skip Strands if: Anyone who dislikes word searches, or who wants the tight time box that Wordle gives
What is a spangram in Strands? The one answer that stretches from one side of the grid to the other and describes the day's theme. It is usually the key to the rest of the board.
How do you get hints in Strands? Find three valid words that are not part of the theme. Each set of three reveals the letters of one theme word.
Can Strands words go diagonally? Yes, and they can also bend — answers connect through any adjacent letters, which is what makes them harder to spot than in a standard word search.
Is there a limit on wrong guesses in Strands? No. Unlike Connections there is no mistake cap, which makes it the most relaxed of the New York Times word games.
Meldle is a different daily puzzle — four words sharing one missing pair of letters. Try today’s → It’s free, needs no account, and here is what it does badly .
