What Is a Spangram in NYT Strands?

A spangram is the special answer in every NYT Strands puzzle. It describes the day’s theme and connects two opposite sides of the board, either top to bottom or left to right. When you find it, it lights up yellow instead of the blue used for ordinary theme words.

What makes it different from a theme word

Every letter in a Strands grid belongs to exactly one answer. Most answers are theme words that fit the clue at the top of the screen. The spangram is the one that names the link itself.

It spans the board. It must touch two opposite sides, so it is long. On a 6 by 8 grid that means at least six letters.
It can be one word or two. A string that looks like nonsense may split into two words that each fit the clue.
It can bend. Like any answer, it moves in any direction, diagonals included, so do not expect a straight line.

Why it matters

Because it names the theme, finding it turns a vague clue into a clear one. Without it you are guessing the category from a pun. With it you know what you are looking for. It also crosses the whole grid, which splits the leftover letters into smaller areas that are easier to solve.

How to find one

Start at the edges, since it has to reach two opposite ones. Look at the top and bottom rows, or the left and right columns, for letters that could begin or end a long word. Then trace chains across the board and test whether any spell something that sums up the clue.

A made-up example: given the clue “Down by the water”, a chain running from the left edge to the right edge that spells SEASIDE would be the spangram, and the other answers might be things found there. It is an illustration, not a real puzzle.

For the full set of techniques, see our Strands strategy guide.

How do I know I have found it?

It turns yellow, while ordinary theme words turn blue. Real words that are not part of the theme do not change the board.

How do hints relate to it?

Hints are earned with non-theme words, not by finding the spangram. Find three real words of four letters or more that are not theme words and you can spend a hint, which highlights the letters of a theme word. Our Strands hints can help if you are still stuck, and the Strands hub lists past themes.

What if I find it first?

That is the ideal order. Reread the clue with the spangram in mind, then look for words that fit it. If you like puzzles where one answer reveals the rest, see our games like Strands, or read how the game compares with its closest rival in Strands vs Connections.

Word Game Clues is an independent hint site and is not affiliated with The New York Times or any of the game publishers mentioned here.