NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, April 24 (game #417)

News
By Contributions from published

My clues will help you solve the NYT's Strands today and keep that streak going

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)
Jump to:
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 23 (game #416).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Coarse material

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • SNAP
  • COOL
  • SLOTH
  • NEST
  • SOAK
  • FOOL

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 6th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #417) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 417 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #417, are…

  • SANDPAPER
  • ROPE
  • PUMICE
  • BARK
  • LOOFAH
  • SACKCLOTH
  • SPANGRAM: ROUGH STUFF
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

Today's theme had me immediately searching for SANDPAPER and that was indeed the first word I found.

Several peculiar bathtime items made it into our search for ROUGH STUFF – LOOFAH and PUMICE. Both items that few under the age of 50 own, but with natural exfoliating abilities that have stood the test of time.

I used to think that loofahs were the remains of a seaplant, like sponges, but they are actually a dried gourd, a sort of long pumpkin primarily used for scrubbing backs. The pumice comes from a similar old-school place, a porous piece of volcanic rock that’s good for cleaning and polishing.

The bizarre wonder of the pumice was celebrated in song by elderly English songwriter John Shuttleworth recently, who marvelled at its otherworldly wonder and crooned “I loved it so, it worked a treat, in removing hard skin from my feet”. Every home should have one.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, April 23, game #416)

  • PEACH
  • CATERPILLAR
  • CHENILLE
  • DUCKLING
  • SLIPPERS
  • SPANGRAM: GET FUZZY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

See more Computing News
TOPICS
Johnny Dee
Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

With contributions from

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.