The New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a daily word search game where players must find words that have something in common. Each puzzle also includes a special word called a spangram, which links two opposite sides of the board. Players must find the spangram and all theme words to complete the puzzle.
Players can connect letters vertically, horizontally, and diagonally to form words. Every letter must be used once in one of the theme words or the spangram. If players find three valid words of at least four letters that are not part of the theme, they can unlock a hint button that highlights letters in one of the theme words.
The difficulty of the puzzle varies each day, and players may encounter challenges such as filling in missing words in a phrase or identifying synonyms or homophones. The puzzle creators aim to surprise players with unique themes and word choices.
The official hint for the day is “At the bar,” and a custom hint provided is “Non-alcoholic.” Today’s spangram is MENUITEMS, and the theme words include WINDOW, FILES, FAVORITES, TOOLS, HISTORY, and EDIT. These words are all related to computer functions, although they may not immediately seem to have something in common.
While some players may have expected the theme to relate to food or law-based clues, the puzzle instead focuses on computer-related terms. The challenge lies in figuring out how these seemingly unrelated words connect to the given hint and spangram. The complexity of the puzzle may require players to use hints to complete the game successfully.
