The New York Times daily Strands puzzle for January 19th (#687) challenges players to find hidden words tied to a specific theme. This guide provides hints and the full solution, including the spangram, to help you solve today’s puzzle.
Understanding Strands Mechanics
Strands requires identifying words of four or more letters within a grid. Finding three such words unlocks a theme-related hint. The ultimate goal is to discover all theme words, including the spangram – a word stretching across the entire grid – using every letter on the board.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The overarching theme for today’s Strands puzzle is “Shaking things up.” A secondary clue to guide your search: “Moving around.”
Initial Word List for Hints
To trigger the in-game hints, start by finding words like:
- LOBE
- TROW
- TROWEL
- ROBE
- ROBES
- CRAVE
- CRAVES
- RAKE
- RAKES
- WAVE
- WAVES
These words aren’t the answers themselves, but finding them will reveal the theme words.
Solution: Theme Words & Spangram
The non-spangram answers for today’s puzzle are:
- SWAY
- QUAKE
- WAVER
- TEETER
- WOBBLE
- TREMBLE
- VIBRATE
The spangram—the word that connects all letters across the grid—is LETSROCK. Locate the leftmost ‘L’ on the top row and trace down to complete the word.
Puzzle Difficulty and Previous Trends
Strands puzzles vary in difficulty. Some of the most challenging themes include dated slang (like the puzzle featuring the term “PHAT”) and niche topics, such as marine biology terms (“BALEEN” or “RIGHT”). The puzzle’s difficulty lies in recognizing patterns and uncommon vocabulary.
The game’s popularity is part of a larger trend of daily word puzzles gaining traction, including Wordle and Connections. These games provide accessible mental challenges, driving engagement through simple yet rewarding mechanics.
