Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 10 of 32

Strands Theme Explorer

Study how NYT Strands themes are trending across the archive. This page groups puzzles by category, difficulty, and clue style so you can spot patterns in the way Strands is built.

Browse themes

Search every Strands theme by clue, answer words, or spangram. Filter by category or difficulty when you want to study one slice of the archive.

Showing 271-300 of 943 themes.

Page 10 of 32

Jan 5, 2026Category ListEasy

Slapped together

Theme words

BRISKFILTHYGRUBBYSPEEDYSTAINEDSWIFT

Spangram: QUICKANDDIRTY

Jan 4, 2026Category ListMedium

I just know ...

Theme words

CLAIRVOYANTMEDIUMORACLEPSYCHICTELEPATH

Spangram: SIXTHSENSE

Jan 3, 2026Category ListMedium

I've never seen that before!

Theme words

FRESHINVENTIVENOVELORIGINALSEMINAL

Spangram: BREAKNEWGROUND

Jan 2, 2026Category ListMedium

Home is where the hearth is

Theme words

BLANKETCOCOACUDDLESFIREPLACEROBESLIPPERS

Spangram: STAYWARM

Jan 1, 2026Category ListMedium

Not your average joe

Theme words

AROMATICBITTERBOLDNUTTYSMOOTHSTRONGVELVETY

Spangram: COFFEE

Dec 31, 2025Category ListMedium

One good turn deserves another

Theme words

CIRCLEORBITPIROUETTEROTATESPINWHIRL

Spangram: ROUNDANDROUND

Dec 30, 2025Category ListEasy

2025 Top Twenty

Theme words

ABRACADABRADAISIESGOLDENMANCHILDORDINARY

Spangram: HITSONGS

Dec 29, 2025Category ListHard

Are you putting me on?

Theme words

BELTCUFFLINKSJACKETSHIRTTROUSERSVEST

Spangram: SUITYOURSELF

Dec 28, 2025Category ListMedium

Load up on tissues

Theme words

COUGHDRIPHACKSNEEZESNIFFLESNORTWHEEZE

Spangram: COLDSYMPTOM

Dec 27, 2025Category ListMedium

If you ask me ...

Theme words

OPINIONOUTLOOKPERSPECTIVETAKEVIEWPOINT

Spangram: MYTWOCENTS

Dec 26, 2025Category ListMedium

Please hold

Theme words

BALLOTGIFTLUNCHMATCHPIZZASHOETACKLETOOL

Spangram: BOXINGDAY

Dec 25, 2025Category ListEasy

Caroler's count

Theme words

DRUMMERSLADIESLORDSMAIDSPIPERSSWANS

Spangram: CHRISTMASDAYS

Dec 24, 2025Category ListMedium

Gather around

Theme words

COMFYCOZYHOMEYPLEASANTRELAXINGSOFTWARM

Spangram: SNUGASABUG

Dec 23, 2025Category ListEasy

Br-r-r-r-r!

Theme words

CHILLYCOLDCOOLFREEZINGFRIGIDGLACIALPOLAR

Spangram: NOTSOHOT

Dec 22, 2025Category ListEasy

Pass it along

Theme words

BOOKCANDLEEARRINGSGADGETLOTIONSCARFWINE

Spangram: REGIFTING

Dec 21, 2025Category ListMedium

Big bad wolf

Theme words

BLOWBRICKSDOWNHUFFPUFFSTICKSSTRAW

Spangram: THREELITTLEPIGS

Dec 20, 2025Category ListEasy

All the trimmings

Theme words

ANGELLIGHTSORNAMENTRIBBONSTARTINSEL

Spangram: CHRISTMASTREE

Dec 19, 2025Category ListMedium

On the chopping block

Theme words

CHIFFONADECUBEDICEJULIENNEMINCESLICE

Spangram: MAKINGTHECUT

Dec 18, 2025Category ListMedium

Natural remedies

Theme words

ELDERBERRYGARLICHONEYLEMONTURMERIC

Spangram: IMMUNEBOOSTERS

Dec 17, 2025Category ListMedium

Out of line

Theme words

ASKEWASLANTCROOKEDLOPSIDEDTILTEDUNEVEN

Spangram: ALITTLEOFF

Dec 16, 2025Category ListMedium

Let me count the ways

Theme words

BEAUTIFULCHARMINGFUNNYKINDHEARTEDSMART

Spangram: HIGHPRAISE

Dec 15, 2025Category ListEasy

Palette episodes

Theme words

ACRESBLOODSBLUEGIRLSGOLDENGREENLOTUSWHITE

Spangram: COLORTV

Dec 14, 2025Category ListMedium

Pricy pairing

Theme words

CRABLOBSTERRIBEYESCALLOPSHRIMPSIRLOIN

Spangram: SURFANDTURF

Dec 13, 2025Category ListEasy

All over the place

Theme words

CHAOTICDISORDERLYSTORMYTUMULTUOUSUNRULY

Spangram: THATSWILD

Dec 12, 2025Category ListMedium

Shakespearean titles

Theme words

MERCHANTMERRYMIDSUMMERSHREWTEMPESTTWELFTH

Spangram: THEBARD

Dec 11, 2025Category ListMedium

Let me elaborate ...

Theme words

ADDENDUMEPILOGUEFOOTNOTEPOSTSCRIPT

Spangram: ANDFURTHERMORE

Dec 10, 2025Category ListEasy

A Nobel effort

Theme words

CHEMISTRYLITERATUREMEDICINEPEACEPHYSICS

Spangram: LAUREATES

Dec 9, 2025Category ListMedium

On the court

Theme words

BLOCKDRIBBLEDUNKGUARDJUMPREBOUNDSCREEN

Spangram: BASKETBALL

Dec 8, 2025LanguageMedium

Grammatically speaking

Theme words

ADJECTIVEARTICLECONJUNCTIONNOUNVERB

Spangram: PARTSOFSPEECH

Dec 7, 2025Category ListMedium

You're styling!

Theme words

BRAIDINGEXTENSIONSFACIALHAIRCUTWAXING

Spangram: BEAUTYSALON

Theme category frequency

Category List

872 puzzles

Food & Drink

26 puzzles

Science & Nature

13 puzzles

Pop Culture

11 puzzles

Sports

8 puzzles

Wordplay

7 puzzles

Language

5 puzzles

History

1 puzzle

Difficulty mix

Medium

674 puzzles

Easy

240 puzzles

Hard

29 puzzles

Theme-word length distribution

5-letter words

1342 total

6-letter words

1204 total

4-letter words

966 total

7-letter words

954 total

8-letter words

578 total

9-letter words

369 total

10-letter words

206 total

11-letter words

83 total

12-letter words

23 total

13-letter words

6 total

14-letter words

1 total

15-letter words

1 total

Theme categories and difficulty bands are classified automatically from each puzzle's clue, spangram, and theme words. They are pattern-finding aids, not official NYT editorial labels.

For active play, open today's Strands hints, use the spangram helper, or compare dates in the Strands archive.

More Strands routes

Switch between today's hints, the archive, and the spangram helper while you study theme patterns.

Today's hintsReveal the clue, spangram, and solved grid at your own pace.Strands archiveBrowse earlier Strands puzzles by date.Spangram helperFocus on the bridge word first without opening the full board.