To conveniently refer back to our Strands clues each day, consider bookmarking this page. Previous hints can also be located there, allowing you to catch up on missed puzzles.

This post will begin with some indirect hints towards today’s Strands solutions. Further down, the complete answers and the featured spangram will be disclosed. Proceed at your own pace and gather only the hints you require!

Clue for the Spangram in Today’s Strands

Look for two terms that represent a kind of avian creature known for its elongated legs, which it employs to navigate through marshy terrains. One of these terms includes an action that humans often undertake in swimming arenas, generally when moving from shallower areas to deeper ones.

Clue for the Thematic Words in Today’s Strands

Identify species of birds that inhabit wetlands.

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Strands

The time has come to unveil today’s answers for the Strands puzzle.

What is the spangram in today’s Strands?

The spangram for today is WADINGBIRD.

What are the theme words in today’s Strands?

Today’s thematic words include: BITTERN, FLAMINGO, SPOONBILL, STORK, EGRET, and IBIS.

Here is how the completed puzzle board appears:

My Journey Through Today’s Strands

One might wonder if today’s puzzle will highlight creatures typically found in swampy areas. Let’s investigate.

Sure enough, the term EGRET was spotted without much delay. 🔵

Search is underway for terms like CROCODILE, DUCK, and BEAVER, yet they remain elusive.

Found FLAMINGO now! 🔵 Perhaps the focus is solely on birds native to wetland regions?

SPOONBILL appeared in the upper right quadrant. 🔵

Noticing TERN in the upper left; however, it seems part of a longer species name—BITTERN! 🔵

Word BIRD is visible at the top, likely part of the spangram. Is it WADINGBIRD referencing their wading through marshes? Absolutely! 🟡

STORK takes center stage here. 🔵

Finally, there’s IBIS. 🔵

Strands #382
“Wetland Patrol”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵

Playing Strands: A Guide

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

Upon launching the game, a grid of various letters will be displayed, accompanied by a hint indicating the theme through a phrase like “Better with age.” Your task is to discover the concealed words that align with the defined theme.

A Blend of Crossword and Word Search

The spangram is the key word to identify, representing the theme directly. For instance, in a puzzle themed “Better with age,” the spangram is FERMENTED, which directly correlates. The spangram will span the entire board, either horizontally or vertically. Recognizing the spangram generally simplifies completing the puzzle.

In Strands, words can be arranged in any orientation (upward, downward, sideways, or diagonal), and each letter can only be used once. There is a single solution for each puzzle. Successfully identifying a word (e.g., KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI) will highlight it in blue.

For challenging puzzles, submitting any non-theme words (with a minimum of four letters) grants credit towards a hint. Submit three non-theme words, and the “Hint” button will activate; clicking it will highlight all letters of one theme word. You’ll still arrange these highlighted letters correctly to form a thematic word. If a hint has been utilized and you seek another before resolving that word, its letter order will be disclosed.

Winning Strands

In contrast to games like Connections and Wordle, there is no way to lose in Strands. Submissions will either lead to discovering a word, earn hint credits, or shake to signify the word is either too short or invalid. There is no guessing limit, nor is there a timer.

The victory is achieved by correctly identifying all letters on the board, inclusive of the spangram and all theme words. Upon completion, a shareable card details your performance: blue dots 🔵 signify theme words found, the yellow dot 🟡 for discovering the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 representing hint-assisted words.