NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, January 26 (game #329)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Jump to:

Hint #1: Today's theme
Hint #2: Clue words
Hint #3: Spangram
Hint #4: Spangram position
Today's answers
Yesterday's answers

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 #329) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Ore so they say

NYT Strands today (game #329) - hint #2 - clue words

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

PAIN
COMA
CLAD
MULE
TEAL
BELL

NYT Strands today (game #329) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Vital elements

NYT Strands today (game #329) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #329) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 329 on a blue background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #329, are…

NICKEL
IRON
COBALT
CADMIUM
ALUMINUM
TITANIUM
SPANGRAM: PURE METAL

My rating: Easy
My score: 1 hint

It was pretty obvious from the theme clue what we were looking for today and, of course, my biggest fear was that I would have to spell out ALUMINIUM – or rather, ALUMINUM as those of you in the United States would have it. A few very obvious – and much easier to find and spell – PURE METALs were left out of the puzzle, including Gold, Copper, Zinc and Silver.

As I was completing the game my mind wandered to the heavy metal genre, and the thought that it was named that after IRON Maiden – iron being a particularly heavy metal. But actually, Google tells me it comes from the song Born to Be Wild by the '70s band Steppenwolf, which includes the phrase “heavy metal thunder”. So today I learned two things – that, plus how to spell ALUMINUM.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 25 January, game #328)

BALLOON
COFFEE
SUCCEED
COMMITTEE
WHIPPOORWILL
SPANGRAM: LETTERS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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.

TOPICS

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.

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