For anyone seeking clues and solutions for the Strands puzzle dated April 26, 2025, continue reading. This post will provide insightful hints, useful tips, and ultimately unveil the answers centered around the theme of “Face Time.”

To easily revisit today’s Strands hints each day, consider saving this link. Historical hints are available there as well, so you can catch up on missed puzzles.

You will find helpful hints regarding today’s Strands answers below. Keep scrolling to uncover the spangram and solutions, and take only what you need!

Clue for Today’s Spangram

If you were unable to attend a class test, your instructor may allow you to retake it by offering this option. (Interestingly, this term is also related to “cosmetics.”)

Clue for Theme Words

Products that are applied to the face before stepping out, particularly for job interviews or formal events.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The answers for today’s Strands puzzle are about to be revealed.

What’s the Spangram for Today’s Puzzle?

The spangram for today is MAKEUPEXAM.

What are the Theme Words for Today’s Puzzle?

The theme words include: CONCEALER, FOUNDATION, POWDER, BRONZER, PRIMER.

Here’s the completed puzzle board:

Credit: Strands/NYT

Approach to Solving Today’s Puzzle

The theme of today’s puzzle seems to revolve around cosmetic terms. Maybe words that relate to facial features or beauty?

The term DAPPER appears, but that doesn’t seem relevant. 

BRONZER stands out in the top right corner. 🟡 Okay, this points towards cosmetic items.

MAKEUP is noticeable throughout the center, but it isn’t part of the theme. Looks like the spangram’s foundation!

Below BRONZER is PRIMER. 🟡

In the upper left is CONCEALER. 🟡

FOUNDATION appears in the bottom left. 🟡

POWDER runs along the bottom. 🟡

This leads to the discovery of the spangram: MAKEUPEXAM. 🟡 What a clever twist on the idea of making up a missed test!

Strands #419
"Face Time"
🟡🟡🟡🟡
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Guide on Playing Strands

The Strands game is accessible on the New York Times website and in the NYT Games app.

Upon starting, you’ll be greeted with a board filled with letters, accompanied by a hint that alludes to the theme—a phrase such as “Better with age.” Your objective is to identify the concealed words within the board that align with the specified theme.

A Unique Blend of Crossword and Word Search

The key word to uncover is the “spangram,” which directly denotes the puzzle’s theme. For instance, in a puzzle themed “Better with age,” the spangram would be FERMENTED, signifying items that indeed improve with time. The spangram will cover the entire board either horizontally or vertically. Spotting this word typically simplifies solving the rest of the puzzle.

In Strands, words can move in all directions (up, down, left, right, and diagonally), and each letter can only be used once. There is only one solution. When a word is pinpointed correctly (like KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI), it will light up in blue.

If struggling with the puzzle, any non-theme words of four letters or more can be submitted for a hint. Once three non-theme words are submitted, the “Hint” button will become active. Clicking it will highlight all letters in one of the theme words. You will still need to arrange these letters in the right order. If another hint has already been revealed and a new hint is utilized before the previous word is solved, the letter order for that word will be disclosed.

Winning Strands

Unlike other games like Connections and Wordle, Strands doesn’t have a losing condition. Upon submitting guesses, they will either yield a correct answer, contribute towards a hint, or the text will shake, indicating an invalid or too-short submission. There’s no limit to guesses, and no time pressure.

The game concludes when every letter on the board is correctly used, meaning the spangram and all theme words have been identified. Like other NYT games, a shareable card reflecting your daily performance will appear upon finishing: blue dots 🔵 denote theme words found, the yellow dot 🟡 indicates the spangram, and a light bulb 💡 signifies words aided by hints.