Strands, a lesser-known game in the New York Times Games app, recently moved out of beta and may gain more fans. While Strands may not get as much attention as its siblings Wordle and Connections, it offers a challenging and entertaining experience for players. The rules for Strands involve finding words related to the theme of the day by clicking or dragging letters in the correct order. Players can also uncover hint words that provide clues to the theme words, ultimately filling the entire board with theme words and a special “spangram” that summarizes the puzzle theme.
To play NYT Strands, players must use the theme of the day to find words related to that topic. Finding a theme word will light it up in blue, while other words act as hint words to give players clues. By finding three hint words with at least four letters each, players can unlock a theme word. If players are unable to unscramble it, finding three more hint words will reveal the theme word’s letters in order. The ultimate goal is to use every letter on the board in either a theme word or the spangram, with theme words filling the entire board without overlapping.
Today’s Strands theme is “Wake up and…,” with a clue for Starbucks lovers to help players uncover the related words. Players can seek out hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme and are at least four letters long. Any words of four or more letters found will work to unlock hints within the game. Some example words that can be used to unlock hints in the game include POSE, PEEL, LACK, DRAT, FROM, PROM, and more. By finding three words of four letters or more, players can reveal one of the theme words.
The answers for today’s Strands puzzle include words related to the theme of “Wake up and…,” such as ICED, BLACK, LATTE, MOCHA, ESPRESSO, and CAPPUCCINO. The goal is to find all of them, including the spangram, which spans the entire puzzle and ties into the theme. The spangram for today’s puzzle is COFFEE ORDER, which can be found by starting with the letter C that is five letters down on the far left and winding over. Completing the puzzle involves using every letter on the board in a theme word or the spangram, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
