How to Play NYT Strands: Complete Beginner's Guide
NYT Strands is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times that looks like a word search but plays completely differently. Every single letter on the 6x8 grid belongs to a theme word, and your job is to find them all before the grid is full. Once you understand how the board is structured and what you are hunting for, the game clicks into place fast.
The Grid and Basic Rules
Strands is played on a 6-column by 8-row grid containing exactly 48 letters. To form a word, drag or tap through adjacent letters — you can move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and you can change direction mid-word. Words must be at least four letters long; three-letter words are not valid. You submit a word by double-tapping the final letter (on mobile) or releasing your drag (on desktop).
Theme Words and the Spangram
Every puzzle has a daily theme shown at the top of the screen. All theme words relate to that theme, and together they cover every letter on the board — no letters are left over and no words overlap. Found theme words light up in blue. One special word called the spangram describes the theme more precisely and must stretch from one side of the board to the opposite side (top-to-bottom or left-to-right). The spangram highlights in yellow when found.
How Hints Work
Strands has a built-in hint system that rewards exploration. When you find any valid English word that is not one of the theme words, it counts as a non-theme word. Find three non-theme words and you earn one hint. A hint automatically highlights all the letters of one unrevealed theme word on the board. Non-theme words must be at least four letters long to count toward your hint total.
Winning the Puzzle
The puzzle is complete when every letter on the grid is covered by a highlighted word — blue for theme words, yellow for the spangram. Unlike Wordle you do not have a guess limit; you can take as long as you need within the 24-hour window. Your progress is saved if you leave and come back, so you can play across multiple sessions.
Where and When to Play
A new Strands puzzle is published every day at midnight Eastern Time on the NYT Games app and at nytimes.com/games/strands. You need a New York Times Games subscription to play. The game number increments daily — as of June 2026 the puzzle counter is in the 830s. Previous puzzles are not available to replay through the official app, though some third-party archives exist.
FAQ
Is NYT Strands free to play?
Strands requires a New York Times Games subscription. NYT offers a free trial, but ongoing access requires a paid plan.
Can letters in Strands go in any direction?
Yes. Letters can connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and you can change direction in the middle of a word.
What happens if I run out of hints?
There is no cap on hints. As long as you keep finding valid non-theme words (three per hint), you can keep earning more hints throughout the puzzle.
Do non-theme words stay highlighted on the board?
No. Non-theme words are accepted and counted toward your hint total, but they disappear from the grid. Only theme words and the spangram stay highlighted.
How many theme words are in a typical Strands puzzle?
Most puzzles have between six and eight theme words plus the one spangram, though the exact count varies by day.