How to Play Strands
A complete guide to mastering the New York Times' newest word puzzle.
The Basics
Strands is a word search puzzle where every letter on the grid is part of a word. Your goal is to find all the theme words hidden in the jumble.
1. Finding Words
Drag your finger or mouse across adjacent letters to form words. Letters can be connected horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Unlike traditional word searches, words in Strands can "bend" and change direction multiple times.
2. The Theme
Every puzzle has a theme. All the hidden words except for "hint words" (see below) will relate to this theme. You are given a theme clue at the start of each game.
3. The Spangram
The spangram is a special theme word that describes the overall puzzle theme and must touch two opposite sides of the grid. It can be horizontal or vertical. When you find it, it will be highlighted in yellow.
4. Hints
If you're stuck, you can find non-theme words to earn hints. For every three non-theme words (4 letters or longer) you find, you earn one hint. Using a hint will highlight the letters of one of the theme words in the grid.
Expert Strategies
- Start with the Spangram: Often, finding the spangram first clarifies the rest of the board.
- Look for Common Suffixes: Search for "-ING", "-ED", or plurals to spot word endings.
- Edge Crawling: Words often trail along the edges of the grid before diving into the middle.
- Use Your Hints Wisely: Save hints for when you have small clusters of letters left that don't seem to make sense.