UNRAVELING THE INTRICACIES OF STRANDS: A MODERN TWIST ON THE CLASSIC WORD SEARCH

Strands, the newest member of the New York Times‘ family of puzzles, injects an edge as well as an update to the ancient form of the word search, insisting on not just sharp eyes but also the attention of a well-tuned brain. Like its puzzle siblings – Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword – it is likely to stymie many of the people who try it. But, like them, it is incredibly rewarding to play. If you’re stuck on today’s Strands puzzle, don’t worry, we have the answers and hints you need.

HOW TO PLAY STRANDS: EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE

The goal in your Strands arena is to spot the ‘theme words’ scattered across a grid of letters, but you have to spot them in a way that also obeys the game’s unique rules – using your pointer or fingers to click or tap on letters, and your brain to know when you got a word that was allowed. And the more ‘non-theme’ words you find, the more hints you’ll earn to help you to a final win. The key is that there’s no confusion with Strands: every letter of the alphabet does exactly one thing, which is to make a theme word, delivering a puzzle experience that’s both hard, and fair.

THE AIM OF THE GAME: A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS

The real twist to Strands, though, comes with the appearance of something called a ‘spangram’ – the odd word that is the brass ring of the game, equal parts nerd-pleasing clue and tough-as-nails endgame. By linking two opposite sides of the board, the spangram provides both a hint to the theme of the puzzle as well as a crucial checkpoint on your quest to completion. Success in Strands doesn’t just mean finding all the theme words: it means finding them efficiently, while using few if any of the hints that are scattered throughout the board.

TODAY'S PUZZLE UNVEILED: NAVIGATING "PURPOSEFUL PAIRS"

When you start playing a new Strands today, you’ll see the theme ‘Purposeful pairs’. The designer doesn’t spell out that you’ll be creating shapes that are, as the hint that opens the puzzle suggests, ‘visual representations of someone’s thoughts’. He doesn’t say that you’ll be connecting heterochromatic lines in pairs, with your goal being to create something new from a collection of disparate elements. What he does say is: ‘Your initial task… is to focus on the first part of each pair.’ The cognitive load is lessened by the way the player is guided to the solution. When you are able to complete the puzzle – pairing up the black lines and the coloured shapes so that each component of a given pair connects to its paired item – you gain a sense of cognitive satisfaction. And that sense of cognitive satisfaction comes from the design of the game and your capacity to puzzle your way through to the solution.

DISCOVERING TODAY'S STRANDS ANSWERS

THE KEY TO THE THEME: TODAY'S SPANGRAM

The spangram USEFUL ADVICE not only helps you crack today’s theme but also sets you up for an effective strategic path through the rest of the grid. It’s the clue to your treasure map.

SOLVING THE PUZZLE: A COMPILATION OF ANSWERS

And when you run into those tough times, that hopeless feeling, we hope that today’s Strands answers can provide you some respite:

• DIVIDE
• CONQUER
• WATCH
• LEARN
• FORGIVE
• FORGET

When these answers have been obtained, we know how to complete the process, and in doing so not just closure, but also enrichment, can be ours.

BEYOND THE PUZZLE: THE EVERLASTING APPEAL OF THE CLASSIC

WHY WE CHERISH THE CLASSIC

It’s a game that connects us with family members, a novelty from another era, a simple pleasure that improves brain function while making us feel calm. It is the classic word search – the grid of letters and the glee of finding those hidden words – that conjures memories of things long forgotten and brings back reminders of an easier time.

THE EVOLUTION INTO STRANDS

Strands honours this old tradition but gives it a new twist that challenges and entertains. By taking the classic format and turning it into something that requires more thought and strategy, we’ve been able to keep the spirit of the classic game alive and well into the 21st century. Strands shows that word puzzles still have a place on our tablets and that, like our language, they aren’t stuck in the past – they’re adapting and renewing their passion for these classic traditions.

The solving world is catching up, however, and whether you’re an old solver or a newbie, Strands welcomes you into a world where the puzzle dictionary that launches a million word searches meets the adventures that the new word puzzles are going to invite. Good luck on today’s puzzle, and good luck on the one we’ll be creating tomorrow.