According to the New York Times, the instructions for playing Strands are as follows: Locate theme words to fill the board. Theme words will remain highlighted in blue once discovered. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to form words. When tapping, double-tap the final letter to submit. Theme words must completely cover the board without overlapping. Find the “spangram,” a puzzle element that reveals the theme and connects two opposite sides of the board. The spangram may consist of two words and will be highlighted in yellow once identified. An example of a spangram with corresponding theme words could be PEAR, FRUIT, BANANA, APPLE, etc. If assistance is needed, look for non-theme words to receive hints. Every three non-theme words discovered will earn a hint. Hints will display the letters of a theme word, and if a hint is already active, it will reveal the order of that word’s letters.
Today’s Strands hint is related to the theme “Wait What?” and involves reactions to shocking events. The spangram for today’s game is oriented vertically from top to bottom.
In today’s puzzle, there are a total of six theme words to uncover, including the spangram. The initial theme word can be found in the top half of the board. Here are the first two letters of each word: FL, AS, SU, ST, GO, MI (SPANGRAM).
The spangram answer for today’s game on Sunday, January 12, 2025, is MINDBLOWN.
The answers and word list for today’s NYT Strands puzzle on Sunday, January 12 are as follows:
– FLABBERGAST
– ASTONISH
– SURPRISE
– STUN
– GOBSMACK
– MINDBLOWN (SPANGRAM)
For more engaging challenges, hints, clues, and solutions to the New York Times’ ‘Mini Crossword’ puzzle, stay tuned.
Additionally, if you enjoy the NYT Connections game, you might also appreciate these 15 fun game suggestions to keep you entertained daily.
