The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for January 20, 2024, challenges players to uncover themed words within a grid of letters. If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of the hints, clues, and the complete solution.
Theme and Initial Clues
Today’s theme is “Sneak-ing around.” The core concept revolves around parts of shoes. If you need a nudge, consider the items worn on your feet.
The game mechanics involve finding words of four or more letters to unlock in-game theme hints. Any valid word will work, but here are some examples used in solving today’s puzzle:
- LOGS, SLOG, SLOGS
- HOLE, SLOT
- TAME, TAMES, FAME
- KICK, KICKS
- STAMP
- LACE
Full Solution
The following words complete the puzzle. The goal is to identify all theme-related terms, including the spangram (a word that spans the grid). Every letter on the board should be used when all words are found.
Non-Spangram Answers:
- HEEL
- LOGO
- SOLE
- SHOELACE
- VAMP
- TONGUE
- EYELET
Spangram:
- JUSTFORKICKS
The spangram runs from the leftmost ‘J’ on the top row, tracing down and across the grid.
Previously Challenging Strands Topics
Some Strands themes have proven particularly difficult for players. These include:
- Dated slang: Words from past eras can be obscure. The toughest term was PHAT.
- Marine biology: Specialized vocabulary can stump those unfamiliar with the field. BALEEN and RIGHT were the hardest words in this category.
This daily puzzle continues to test vocabulary and pattern recognition skills. For additional assistance with other New York Times games, such as Wordle or Connections, check out CNET’s puzzle hints page.
