Looking for Wednesday’s Strands hints, spangram, and answers? You’re in the right place. Below is a clean, fact-based breakdown of today’s puzzle, written for clarity, search visibility, and actual humans who just want the answers without nonsense.
This one is not officially New Year’s themed. Still, it does revolve around something many people reach for the morning after a late night. Yes, that thing.
What Is NYT Strands?
The New York Times Strands is a daily word puzzle that puts a clever spin on the classic word search.
The game is still in beta, which means its future depends on how many people keep playing it. If players stick around, Strands stays. If not, it quietly disappears. No pressure.
How Strands Works
Each day, players see a 6×8 grid of letters.
Your goal is simple:
- Find words that all connect to a shared theme
- Each correct theme word stays highlighted in blue
- One special word, called the spangram, explains the theme
The spangram:
- Touches two opposite sides of the board
- Appears in yellow once found
- Can be a proper name, unlike regular theme words
Some puzzles feel easy. Others come with a mild attitude problem.
According to the Times, themes can include:
- Fill-in-the-blank phrases
- Items from the same category
- Synonyms or homophones
- Steps in a process
And yes, difficulty varies. Just like Wordle, Strands mixes things up to keep players guessing.
Today’s Strands Hint (Official)
The official NYT hint for today is:
Not your average joe
If that didn’t click immediately, you’re not alone.
Additional Hint (Plain English Version)
Here’s a more direct nudge:
That’s a damn fine ____
At this point, the theme starts to smell familiar. Literally.
Today’s Strands Opening Letters
If you want help without spoiling everything, here are the first two letters of each answer:
- NU
- SM
- AR
- BO
- VE
- BI
- ST
Still stuck? Fair enough. Let’s move on.
Today’s Strands Spangram
The spangram for Wednesday’s puzzle is:
COFFEE
Once that word lands, the entire board suddenly makes sense.
Today’s Full Strands Answers
Here’s the complete list of theme words:
- NUTTY
- SMOOTH
- VELVETY
- AROMATIC
- BOLD
- BITTER
- STRONG
All of these describe coffee characteristics. Not types. Not drinks. Just the way coffee behaves when it’s doing its job properly.
Final Thoughts
This puzzle fooled a lot of people early on. Words like NUTTY and SMOOTH easily send your brain toward peanut butter territory. That theory collapses fast once VELVETY shows up.
The real giveaway is the spangram. Once COFFEE appears, everything clicks into place, including AROMATIC, which simply means the coffee smells good. Nothing mysterious. Just caffeine doing its thing.
If your idea of coffee stops at “hot” or “iced,” you’re not alone. But Strands clearly wants you to think like a barista this morning.
See you tomorrow for the next grid and the next twist.
