Tips and Solutions for Strands – March 21, 2025
Searching for clues and solutions for the Strands puzzle dated March 21, 2025? Stay tuned! Here, insights and hints will be shared, culminating in the final answers for the challenge themed “Ode to the aubergine.”
For a convenient way to revisit our hints each day, be sure to bookmark this link. Past hints are also available on this page for those interested in catching up on previous puzzles.
Below are some indirect hints regarding the answers for today’s Strands. The answers and the spangram will be revealed further down, so scroll carefully and extract only the hints you require!
Clue for the Spangram in Today’s Strands Puzzle
Aubergine is known by a different term in the U.S. (Hint: This term is purple and frequently depicted in emoji form with a teasing connotation.) The spangram consists of two words that denote dishes prepared with this vegetable.
Clue for the Thematic Words in Today’s Strands Puzzle
These pertain to certain cooking techniques and dishes wherein the aubergine is a key ingredient.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Strands Puzzle!
Now, the answers to the Strands puzzle will be disclosed.
What is the Spangram for Today’s Strands?
The spangram for today is EGGPLANTDISH.
What are the Theme Words for Today’s Strands?
The theme words for today include: PARMIGIANA, STUFFED, RATATOUILLE, MOUSSAKA.
Check out what the completed board looks like:
Methodology for Solving Today’s Strands
Aubergine refers to eggplant, which could suggest a range of purple-themed items. However, upon further thought, it seems more likely to pertain to methods of preparing eggplant, especially since the word STUFFED has appeared. 🔵
The spangram materializes vertically as EGGPLANTDISH. 🟡
PARMIGIANA is present in the upper left corner. 🔵 (Now that sounds delightful.)
Additionally, RATATOUILLE is also in the upper area of the board. 🔵
Finally, don’t forget MOUSSAKA. 🔵
Strands #383 “Ode to the aubergine” 🔵🟡🔵🔵 🔵
How to Play Strands
Access the Strands game through the New York Times website or the NYT Games app.
Once you begin, a game board filled with various letters appears alongside a clue hinting at the board’s theme—expressed as a phrase such as “Better with age.” Your mission is to discover the hidden words that align with this theme.
Combination of Crossword and Word Search
The primary word to uncover is the “spangram,” which directly indicates the theme of the puzzle. For instance, in a puzzle themed “Better with age,” the spangram would be FERMENTED—these items improve over time. The spangram stretches across the entire board either horizontally or vertically. Identifying it usually simplifies the remainder of the puzzle.
In Strands, words can be arranged in any direction (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal), and each letter can only be used once. There’s only one definitive solution to each puzzle. Upon correctly identifying a word like KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI, it will be highlighted in blue.
If facing difficulties, you can submit any non-theme words of four letters or more in exchange for hints. After submitting three such words, the “Hint” button will activate, allowing you to highlight letters from one of the theme words. However, the correct order of these highlighted letters must still be arranged to form the intended theme word. If a hint is already on the board and you opt for another before solving that word, its letter sequence will be disclosed.
Strategies for Winning Strands
Unlike other word games like Connections and Wordle, Strands does not include a failure mechanism. Whenever guesses are submitted, you will either correctly identify a word, earn credit for a hint, or see feedback indicating your submission isn’t valid or too short. There’s an unlimited number of attempts and no time constraints.
A win occurs when all letters on the board have been used correctly, confirming both the spangram and all theme words have been identified. Upon completion of the puzzle, a shareable card shows your performance that day: blue dots 🔵 signify theme words located, a yellow dot 🟡 notes the spangram found, and a lightbulb 💡 represents words that received hints.
