The New York Times daily Strands puzzle challenges players to find themed words hidden within a grid of letters. Today’s puzzle (#659) centers on a seasonal concept: gift-giving and re-gifting. If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of how to solve it, including hints and the complete answer set.
Understanding the Strands Puzzle
Strands requires strategic word-finding. The goal is to identify words of four or more letters. As you discover these, the game reveals thematic clues. The puzzle’s complexity lies in recognizing the hidden theme and locating the “spangram”—a long, thematic word spanning the entire grid.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The theme for today is “Pass it along.” Think about what people do with unwanted gifts. A direct hint: You want this?
To unlock in-game hints, begin by finding any valid words. The following were used in one solution path, but any four-letter-or-longer word will trigger a clue:
- BODE
- RARE
- CARE
- SINE
- RING
- RINGS
- FACE
- FACES
- SING
- TOON
- STARE
- LOAN
- DINE
- RACE
Complete Solution
The non-spangram answers for today’s puzzle are:
- BOOK
- WINE
- SCARF
- CANDLE
- GADGET
- LOTION
- EARRINGS
The spangram, which stretches across the grid, is REGIFTING. Start at the “R” in the fourth row from the top on the far-left side of the board and trace the letters downward, across, and upward to find it.
The puzzle’s difficulty varies; sometimes there are eight theme words, but the number can change. When all words are found, every letter in the grid will be highlighted.
