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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Marc is TechRadar’s Global Editor in Chief and has been obsessed with Wordle and its ilk for more than two years. He's authored dozens of articles on the game for TechRadar, including a daily today's Wordle answer column and a detailed analysis of the most common letters in Wordle in every position. He's also played every Wordle ever and only lost once and yes, he takes it all too seriously.
NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Best of the best
NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- FILE
- HIDE
- REAR
- CLASP
- PART
- PROP
NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• __ of the __
NYT Strands today (game #238) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First: left, 5th row
Last: right, 3rd row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #238) - the answers
The answers to today's Strands, game #238, are…
- CLASS
- PARTY
- LITTER
- LIFE
- CREAM
- CROP
- HEAD
- PICK
- SPANGRAM: PERFECTPAIR
- My rating: Hard
- My score: Perfect
Wow, this was far harder than the average Strands puzzle. And far more conceptual than many of the most recent games, which have essentially been related words about a topic you may or may not have had experience with. In contrast, this is all about language, really – all eight words are of the format __ of the __, for instance CREAM of the CROP or LIFE of the PARTY, with the first being the 'best' example of the second.
I had no idea what was going on for roughly half of the game, uncovering words at regular intervals but failing to spot any kind of connection between them – or between them and the theme clue of 'Best of the best'. It was only when I found LIFE that it started to make sense. I already had PARTY, and those two words obviously went together. When I found CREAM and then CROP in quick succession it was clear what I needed to do, and I was able to come up with the remaining words without any issues after that. But it's a challenging one, for sure.
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 26 October, game #237)
- ARIA
- BALLAD
- SHANTY
- JINGLE
- LULLABY
- SPIRITUAL
- SPANGRAM: VOCALMUSIC
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.
