NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, February 4 (game #338)

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

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, February 3 (game #337).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Elf-centered

NYT Strands today (game #338) - hint #2 - clue words

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

MICE
HOME
SLIME
PIERCE
BEER
LIME

NYT Strands today (game #338) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Mischievous beings

NYT Strands today (game #338) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 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 #338) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 338 on a blue background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #338, are…

PIXIE
FAIRY
SPRITE
HOBGOBLIN
GREMLIN
LEPRECHAUN
SPANGRAM: IMPISH

My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect

The biggest challenge for me today was connecting the letters of the fiendishly tricky LEPRECHAUN. Other than that I couldn’t have wished for an easier Strands.

Seeing the letter X in the puzzle is always a big help and so it proved, helping me find PIXIE to begin the hunt.

Among the hint words was Beer, and HOBGOBLIN happens to be the name of a UK beer brand. Maybe this was just a happy accident, maybe there’s an ale-head at Strands HQ or maybe I’m just thirsty.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 3 February, game #337)

POACH
BAKE
BOIL
BASTE
PICKLE
SCRAMBLE
CODDLE
SPANGRAM: MAKING EGGS

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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