Puzzle lovers across the US, UK and India will find today’s NYT Strands edition both accessible and cleverly themed. The 6×8 letter grid challenges you to locate words tied to cleaning and stain removal, culminating in a spangram that elegantly ties the concept together. Whether you’re solving over your morning coffee or winding down after work, this edition offers a satisfying blend of vocabulary, theme recognition and pattern-spotting.
What is NYT Strands?
NYT Strands is a daily word-search style game from The New York Times where you’re presented with a 6 × 8 grid of letters and a theme hint. Your task: find all the theme-related words (which can bend in any direction), plus one long special word or phrase — the “spangram” — that spans two opposite edges of the grid.
Once you uncover the spangram and the theme words, the grid resolves neatly.
Today’s Theme – “Out, damned spot!”
The theme for today’s puzzle is “Out, damned spot!”, a playful nod to the Shakespearean quote but used here to hint at cleaning, stain removal, and laundry care.
So expect words that relate to washing, bleaching, scrubbing and other stain-fighting actions.
Strands Hints for Today
Here are some helpful nudges to guide your solving without giving away everything:
-
One hint points toward “to wash and iron clothes”.
-
Another hint: “water heated until it turns into steam” – think vapour used in cleaning.
-
The spangram runs horizontally (left to right) across the grid.
-
The spangram begins with the letters “ST…”.
Use these to zoom in on words such as those for washing, steaming, soaking, scrubbing. Once one of them clicks, the rest start falling into place.
Spoiler Section: Answers & Spangram
🧵 Spangram: STAINREMOVAL (12 letters) — this long phrase sums up the cleaning/remove-stains theme.
🐾 Theme Words:
-
BLOT
-
SPRAY
-
SCRUB
-
STEAM
-
BLEACH
-
SOAK
-
LAUNDER
These words each relate to the processes and tools of removing stains and cleaning garments or surfaces — the set neatly mirrors the theme.
Strategy Tips for Future Puzzles
Here are strategies to improve your solving for daily Strands:
-
Focus on the theme hint first. The title often suggests the domain (cleaning, animals, puzzles, etc.).
-
Find short, theme-relevant words early. Today’s words like “soak” or “spray” are examples; these anchor your search.
-
Seek the spangram early. Since it spans two opposite edges and is longest, spotting it clears large chunks of the grid.
-
After spotting one strong word, look around it. Letters surrounding known words often belong to other theme words.
-
Remember words can bend and curve. Don’t limit search to straight horizontal or vertical lines. This flexibility is key in Strands.
-
Use hints if stuck. If you find several non-theme words you get an in-game hint — use it wisely.
Final Thoughts
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a strong mid-difficulty one: the theme (“Out, damned spot!”) is clever yet intuitive for most solvers across the US, UK and India. The cleaning-and-laundry framing gives good anchoring, and once you see one-or-two of the words, the rest follow nicely.
Whether you cracked it quickly or needed a few nudges, reflect on how one word (like “steam” or “bleach”) unlocked the broader theme — that’s the power of a well-designed Strands puzzle.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s edition — I’ll have the full breakdown ready for you.
