Below, you’ll find subtle hints for today’s Strands answers. Scroll through carefully and take only what insights you need!

Credit: Strands/NYT

Hint for the Spangram in Today’s Strands Puzzle

Two terms that refer to hues and patterns usually associated with a particular hoofed creature.

Hint for the Theme Words in Today’s Strands Puzzle

Particular instances of these color names and patterns. (Here’s a resource for assistance.)

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Strands Puzzle!

The answers to today’s Strands puzzle will be revealed shortly.

What is the Spangram for Today’s Strands?

The spangram for today is HORSECOLORINGS.

What are the Theme Words for Today’s Strands?

Today’s theme words consist of: DAPPLE, PALOMINO, BUCKSKIN, CHESTNUT, ROAN.

Here’s how the completed board appears:

Credit: Strands/NYT

Solving Today’s Strands

The puzzle’s theme appears to allude to the expression “that’s a horse of a different color,” indicating a shift in conversation topics. However, today’s context seems more direct, suggestive of prevalent terminology for equine colorations.

Among the discoveries is BUCKSKIN, located in the upper right section. 🔵

The term HORSE emerges across the middle of the board, though its connections remain uncertain for now.

Meanwhile, PALOMINO runs along the left edge. 🔵

DAPPLE is found prominently in the upper left. 🔵

Now the spangram comes into view: HORSECOLORINGS. 🟡 This posed a challenge as it began centrally rather than along the edges yet touches both the top and bottom edges, thus qualifying as a spangram.

CHESTNUT sits just beneath BUCKSKIN. 🔵

Lastly, there’s ROAN. 🔵

Strands #393
“That's an equine of a different shade!”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵

How to Engage with Strands

The Strands game can be accessed on the New York Times website and through the NYT Games application.

Upon starting, players will encounter a board filled with assorted letters alongside a clue hinting at the theme—often phrased as a saying, such as “Better with age.” The goal is to uncover hidden words within the grid that correspond to the theme.

A Blend of Crossword and Word Search

The most crucial word to identify is the “spangram,” which expresses the puzzle’s theme more clearly. For instance, in a puzzle themed “Better with age,” the spangram is FERMENTED, which directly relates to items that improve over time. The spangram spans the entire gameplay area, either horizontally or vertically, making it essential. Locating this word often simplifies the remainder of the puzzle.

In Strands, words can traverse in any direction (upward, downward, leftward, rightward, or diagonally), with each letter utilized only once. There is a single correct outcome. When a word is accurately identified—be it KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI—it will appear in blue.

If challenges arise while attempting to solve, non-theme four-letter words can be submitted for hints. Submitting three such words enables the “Hint” option, which highlights letters in one of the theme words; however, they still need to be arranged correctly. Using an additional hint will reveal the correct letter order of the specified word.

Achieving Victory in Strands

Unlike other word games such as Connections or Wordle, failure is not an option in Strands. Each guess will either yield a correct answer, grant hints, or the text will shake to indicate an invalid or overly short word. There’s no limitation on the number of guesses or time constraints.

Victory is claimed when all letters on the board have been utilized, signifying that both the spangram and all theme words have been recognized successfully. Like other New York Times games, a results card displaying daily performance will appear upon solving: blue dots 🔵 represent found theme words, the yellow dot 🟡 indicates the spangram discovery, and a lightbulb 💡 signifies words obtained through hints.