Do non-theme words count for anything in Strands?

Yes — valid English words of 4+ letters that are not theme words build your hint meter. Three of them convert into one hint. Short random strings do not count.

What is the best first move in Strands?

Scan the board edges for a long chain that could touch two opposite sides — that is the Spangram. Corner letters have the fewest neighbors, so trace from corners inward to clear constrained cells early.

How many theme words are in a Strands puzzle?

Most daily puzzles have 6 to 9 theme words plus the Spangram, tiling all 48 letters of the 8x6 grid with no leftovers and no overlaps.

When does the Strands puzzle reset?

The daily Strands puzzle resets at midnight local time. This hints page updates its date automatically each morning.

Strands Hints for Today

Q: What is a Spangram in Strands?

The Spangram is the master theme word that stretches from one edge of the 8x6 board to the opposite edge. It names or describes the puzzle's theme, and finding it first splits the board into two easier halves.

Q: How do hints work in Strands?

Every 3 valid non-theme words you find earns 1 hint. Spending a hint highlights the letters of one unfound theme word. Use the budget calculator on this page to track exactly when your next hint unlocks.

Spangram-first strategy, a hint-budget calculator and theme-word tactics for the daily grid. Free, no login.

Today · New puzzle at midnight local time

Today's Strands theme & Spangram (updated daily)

The theme clue is public information; the Spangram and theme words stay behind spoilers. Editors: paste today's answers into the slots below.

Theme: Today's theme clue will appear here.

Hint 1 — what the Spangram means (no letters)

A plain-language nudge toward the Spangram's meaning goes here.

Hint 2 — Spangram first letter + length

First letter and letter count go here.

Answers — Spangram + theme words

Full answer list goes here.

Hint-unlock budget calculator

Every 3 valid non-theme words earns 1 hint. Enter how many extra words you have found and how many hints you have spent:

Extra words found
Hints spent

Your hint balance will appear here.

Tip: farm hints early with easy 4-letter words (plurals, -ED/-ING forms) before spending anything — banked hints compound once the board thins out.

Spangram worksheet — scan your board like a pro

Paste the board's letters (all 48, row by row, no spaces needed) and the tool ranks your scan order: rare letters first, plus affix anchors worth tracing.

Board letters (48 for a full 8×6 grid)

Rare-letter scan order and affix anchors will appear here.

What is a Spangram?

The Spangram is the puzzle's skeleton key: one long theme word that touches two opposite edges of the board. It usually reads like the theme's title — think SOFTBALL for a sports theme or LINEDANCE for a dance theme. Because it must span the grid, it is typically 8–12 letters long, and finding it first cuts the board into two small, solvable halves. New to the concept? Read our full what is a Spangram guide.

Theme-word tactics

Read the clue before the board. The theme tells you the semantic neighborhood — brainstorm 10 candidate words before tracing a single letter.
Trace from corners inward. Corner cells have only 3 neighbors, so the words consuming them are highly constrained. Clear corners first to avoid endgame deadlocks.
Hunt prefixes and suffixes. Clusters like -ING, -TION, -EST, PRE- and UN- chain predictably — the worksheet above flags which ones your board can actually spell.
Build around rare letters. Q, X, Z and J almost always belong to the Spangram or an obvious theme word. Start every trace there.
Spell backwards. Serpentine paths hide when your eyes expect left-to-right flow; reverse-reading breaks the illusion.
Remember the tiling rule. Every letter is used exactly once — a leftover orphan cell next to a found word tells you where the next word must go.

▶ Play Strands free Full strategy guide

Frequently asked questions

What is a Spangram in Strands? The master theme word spanning two opposite board edges. Find it first — it halves the puzzle.

How do hints work in Strands? Every 3 valid non-theme words earns 1 hint, which reveals letters of an unfound theme word. Track your balance with the calculator above.

Do non-theme words count? Yes — valid 4+ letter English words build your hint meter; random strings do not.

What is the best first move? Scan the edges for a long opposite-side chain (the Spangram), then clear the corners.

How many theme words are there? Usually 6–9 plus the Spangram, tiling all 48 letters with no leftovers.

When does Strands reset? At midnight local time daily.