NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Friday, January 3 (game #306)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On auto

NYT Strands today (game #306) - hint #2 - clue words

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

RULER
ROPE
SIDE
HIDE
DRAG
BURN

NYT Strands today (game #306) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Vehicle parts

NYT Strands today (game #306) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: right, 5th row

Last side: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #306) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 306 on a blue background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #306, are…

DOOR
HOOD
TRUNK
MIRROR
BUMPER
GRILLE
WINDSHIELD
SPANGRAM: CAR BODY

My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect

A nice Strands to ease us into the first weekend of 2025, naming the various parts of a car that are excessively expensive to repair should you be unfortunate enough to have a bump.

I am fortunate in that most of my car accidents have involved inanimate objects that I have hit at about 3 miles per hour while reversing. Although I did also scrape the side of a police vehicle during a driving lesson. I’m a lot safer these days – unless you’re a bollard, post, or garden wall.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 2 January, game #305)

STOCK
CELERY
ONIONS
CARROTS
PEPPER
NOODLES
SPANGRAM: CHICKEN SOUP

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.

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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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