NYT Strands Glossary — Every Term Explained (A–Z)

Whether you’re new to NYT Strands or a daily player who wants a precise definition of a specific mechanic, this glossary covers every term used in and around the game. Each entry is cross-referenced to our full guides where relevant. Bookmark this page — it’s the only Strands glossary you’ll need.

About this glossary:All definitions reflect NYT Strands mechanics as of 2025. Terms are listed alphabetically. Cross-references point to our full guides where more detail is available.

A

Adjacent letters

Letters that physically touch in the 6×8 grid — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Every word in Strands must be formed by connecting adjacent letters in a continuous path. Non-adjacent letters cannot be connected in a single word.

Archive

A record of past NYT Strands puzzles, listing themes, spangrams, and answers by date. TheStrandsHint.com maintains a complete archive. The NYT does not provide official access to past puzzles.

Attempt

A word selection in the grid. Unlike Wordle, Strands has no limit on attempts — you can try unlimited combinations without any penalty.

B

Blue highlight

The colour that theme words turn when correctly found and locked in. Blue-highlighted tiles are permanently locked — they can no longer be used by other words. Contrast with gold highlight (spangram).

Bonus word

A valid English word found in the grid that is not a theme word. Finding bonus words earns hint credits. Also called non-theme words or hint words.

C

Category membership

The most common NYT Strands theme type, where all theme words belong to a named category — types of X, examples of Y. Approximately 40% of all puzzles use this theme structure.

Compound word theme

A theme type where all words share a common element — a prefix, suffix, or hidden word inside each answer. For example, all words containing a colour name.

Connected path

The sequence of adjacent letter tiles that forms a word. Every tile in the path must touch the next — no skipping allowed. Paths can travel in any direction and change direction freely.

Credit (hint credit)

The progress earned toward unlocking a hint by finding bonus words. The game accumulates credit invisibly — roughly three bonus words earn one hint activation.

D

Daily reset

The moment each day — midnight — when a new puzzle replaces the previous one. The previous day’s puzzle becomes inaccessible through the official NYT interface.

Difficulty

How hard a particular day’s puzzle is. Strands difficulty varies based on hint opacity, theme category vocabulary, spangram predictability, and the presence of misdirection in the hint phrase. See our full guide.

E

Edge	The outer boundary of the 6×8 grid — the top row, bottom row, left column, and right column. The spangram must touch one edge and the opposite edge. Scanning edge letters is the primary technique for finding the spangram.

E-E-A-T

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness — Google’s quality framework for evaluating content. Not a Strands game term, but relevant to understanding hint site quality.

F

Fail state

A puzzle ending without completion. NYT Strands has NO fail state — you can play indefinitely, earn unlimited hints, and are never forced to stop. Contrast with Wordle (6 guesses) and Connections (4 attempts).

G

Gold highlight

The colour the spangram turns when found. Unlike theme words (which turn blue), the spangram turns gold — making it visually distinct and immediately recognisable. Gold is the most satisfying moment in any Strands puzzle.

Grid	The 6-column × 8-row board of 48 letter tiles on which every Strands puzzle is played. All 48 letters are used in the final solution — nothing is left over.

H

Hidden word theme

A theme type where all theme words contain a smaller word embedded inside them — a colour, number, animal, or other category hidden within a larger word.

Hint	A game feature that highlights one unsolved theme word in yellow circles, showing its location in the grid. Hints are earned by finding bonus words — there is no limit to how many you can earn and use.

Hint credit

See Credit.

Hint opacity

How many lateral thinking steps are required to decode the theme hint. High opacity = hard puzzle. Low opacity = easy puzzle. One of the four main difficulty factors in Strands.

I

Idiom hint

A theme hint built around a well-known idiomatic phrase — like ‘What goes around comes around’. These hints require recognising the idiom and then identifying the literal or thematic meaning the puzzle is using.

L

Letter tile

A single letter in the 6×8 grid. Each tile belongs to exactly one word in the final solution. Tiles cannot be shared between words.

Lightbulb icon

The hint button at the top of the Strands game screen. Grey and inactive when insufficient hint credits have been earned; bright and tappable once enough credits are banked. Tapping it activates a hint.

Locked tile

A letter tile that has been claimed by a found theme word or spangram. Locked tiles are highlighted (blue or gold) and cannot be used by other words.

M

Misdirection

A theme hint type where the surface meaning of the hint points away from the actual theme. ‘Who on earth?’ sounds like a question about a person but points to earth — soil and terrain. One of the hardest hint types to decode.

N

Non-theme word

A valid English word found in the grid that is not one of the puzzle’s theme words. Finding non-theme words earns hint credits. Also called bonus words.

NYT Games

The New York Times Games suite — the platform that publishes NYT Strands alongside Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword. All accessible for free at nytimes.com/games.

P

Pangram

A word or phrase using every letter of the alphabet. The spangram name derives partly from pangram — though the spangram in Strands doesn’t need to use every letter. It just needs to span the grid.

Penalty

A consequence for wrong guesses. NYT Strands has NO penalty for wrong guesses — trying any letter combination has zero negative consequence.

Puzzle completion

The state when all theme words and the spangram have been found, filling every tile in the grid with blue or gold highlights. Triggers the completion animation and results summary.

R

Results summary

The screen shown after puzzle completion. Shows the puzzle date, theme, spangram, and how many hints were used. Can be shared without spoiling the answers.

S

Spangram

The special theme-related word or phrase in every puzzle whose connected letter path spans the full 6×8 grid — touching one edge and the opposite edge. Turns gold when found. Every puzzle has exactly one. See our full spangram guide.

Synonym cluster

A theme type where all words share a core meaning but with different shades — like all words meaning ‘to continue’ or all words meaning ‘to walk’. Approximately 20% of all puzzles.

T

Theme

The connecting concept that links all the theme words in a puzzle. Communicated via the theme hint at the top of the grid. Every Strands puzzle is built around one theme.

Theme hint

The short phrase at the top of every Strands puzzle that tells you — indirectly — what the theme words have in common. Almost always a pun, double meaning, or playful phrase. See our

Theme words

The 6–8 words hidden in the grid that all relate to the puzzle’s theme. Turn blue when correctly found. Distinct from the spangram (which turns gold) and bonus words (which return to the grid).

U

Unlock (hint unlock)

The moment the lightbulb icon activates after sufficient hint credits have been earned. Tapping the unlocked lightbulb activates a hint.

W

Word path

The sequence of connected letter tiles that forms a word. Must be continuous — each tile touching the next — and can travel in any of 8 directions. Can change direction freely.

Y

Yellow circles

The visual indicator that appears when a hint is activated. Yellow circles appear over each letter of one highlighted theme word, showing its exact location and path in the grid. You still need to trace the path yourself to lock it in.

Quick Reference — Most Searched Terms

Most commonly searched Strands terms:Spangram → the gold word that spans the full gridTheme hint → the phrase at the top of the puzzleLightbulb → the hint button (earn by finding bonus words)Blue tiles → correctly found theme wordsGold tiles → the spangram, found and lockedYellow circles → hint activated, showing one theme word locationBonus words → non-theme words that earn hint creditsAdjacent → touching in any of 8 directions (including diagonal)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ‘spangram’ mean in NYT Strands?

The spangram is the special theme-related word or phrase in every Strands puzzle whose letter path spans the entire 6×8 grid — touching one edge and the opposite edge. It turns gold when found. Every puzzle has exactly one spangram.

What are the yellow circles in NYT Strands?

Yellow circles appear when you activate a hint. They mark the location of one theme word in the grid — each circle covers one letter. You still need to trace the highlighted path yourself to lock the word in.

What does ‘adjacent’ mean in NYT Strands?

Adjacent means physically touching in the grid — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Every letter in a word must touch the next letter. You can change direction at every step, but you cannot skip over letters.

What is a bonus word in NYT Strands?

A bonus word is a valid English word found in the grid that isn’t one of the theme words. Finding bonus words earns hint credits. They don’t stay highlighted — letters return to their positions after the brief credit animation.

What does the lightbulb mean in NYT Strands?

The lightbulb is the hint button at the top of the game screen. It’s grey and inactive until you’ve earned enough hint credits from finding bonus words. Once lit, tapping it highlights one theme word in yellow circles.

What is hint opacity in NYT Strands?

Hint opacity describes how many lateral thinking steps are required to decode the theme hint. A transparent hint directly names the category. A high-opacity hint requires multiple steps of interpretation. It’s one of the four main difficulty factors in Strands.