Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 12 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 331-360 of 943 themes.

Page 12 of 32

Nov 6, 2025Category ListEasy

___ City

Theme words

EMERALDETERNALGOLDENMAGICMOTORMUSICWINDY

Spangram: NICKNAME

Nov 5, 2025Category ListEasy

The butterfly effect

Theme words

CATERPILLARCHRYSALISHATCHMIGRATEMILKWEED

Spangram: MONARCHS

Nov 4, 2025Category ListMedium

F-I-L-M

Theme words

BABECARSCLUEDUNEHEATHULKJAWSMILK

Spangram: FOURLETTERMOVIES

Nov 3, 2025Category ListMedium

Wee wee wee!

Theme words

BEEFHOMEMARKETNONEROASTSTAYEDWENT

Spangram: THISLITTLEPIGGY

Nov 2, 2025SportsMedium

Go the distance

Theme words

FINISHHYDRATIONPACERUNNERSTARTTIMEKEEPER

Spangram: MARATHON

Nov 1, 2025Category ListEasy

It's not polite to lick your plate

Theme words

DELECTABLEDELICIOUSFLAVORFULSCRUMPTIOUS

Spangram: GOODTASTE

Oct 31, 2025Category ListEasy

Good bones

Theme words

FEMURFIBULAHUMERUSRADIUSSKULLSTERNUMULNA

Spangram: SKELETON

Oct 30, 2025Category ListMedium

"If I'm being picky ..."

Theme words

ALTERNATIVECHOICEDRUTHERSELECTIVEOPTION

Spangram: YOUDECIDE

Oct 29, 2025Category ListMedium

"Nevermore!"

Theme words

BLACKCLEVERFEATHEREDOMNIVOROUSWINGED

Spangram: THATSSORAVEN

Oct 28, 2025Category ListMedium

The write stuff

Theme words

CEDARWOODERASERGRAPHITEREFILLSHARPENER

Spangram: PENCILMEIN

Oct 27, 2025Category ListMedium

Witch way?

Theme words

AMULETCAULDRONCHARMINCANTATIONPOTIONWAND

Spangram: WIZARDRY

Oct 26, 2025Category ListEasy

Fall-ing

Theme words

CORNFOLIAGEFOOTBALLHARVESTORCHARDSPUMPKINS

Spangram: AUTUMN

Oct 25, 2025Category ListMedium

Quite a transformation!

Theme words

CHANGELINGSKINWALKERVAMPIREWEREWOLF

Spangram: SHAPESHIFTERS

Oct 24, 2025Category ListMedium

Through the ages

Theme words

BRONZEINDUSTRIALINFORMATIONIRONSPACESTONE

Spangram: HISTORY

Oct 23, 2025Category ListMedium

Please don't eat me!

Theme words

AZALEABELLADONNAFOXGLOVEHEMLOCKOLEANDER

Spangram: POISONOUS

Oct 22, 2025Category ListMedium

Catch all

Theme words

BATTERYCOINPENCILSHOELACETAPETHUMBTACK

Spangram: JUNKDRAWER

Oct 21, 2025Category ListMedium

Banding together

Theme words

ENCOREHEADLINERMERCHANDISEOPENERSTAGE

Spangram: LIVECONCERT

Oct 20, 2025Category ListMedium

“It's in the mail”

Theme words

ADDRESSAMOUNTMEMONUMBERROUTINGSIGNATURE

Spangram: CHECKLIST

Oct 19, 2025Food & DrinkMedium

For the picking

Theme words

BUTTERCIDERCOMPOTEFRITTERJELLYSAUCESTRUDEL

Spangram: APPLES

Oct 18, 2025Category ListMedium

Get to work ...

Theme words

ALARMCLOSURECONSTRUCTIONDETOURWEATHER

Spangram: RUNNINGLATE

Oct 17, 2025Category ListMedium

Gait keeping

Theme words

CAPERCAVORTGALUMPHPRANCESCUTTLETRAIPSE

Spangram: SILLYWALKS

Oct 16, 2025Category ListMedium

And the category is ...

Theme words

GEOGRAPHYHISTORYMOVIESMUSICNEWSSPORTS

Spangram: TRIVIANIGHT

Oct 15, 2025Category ListEasy

Going up?

Theme words

ALARMBASEMENTCLOSEGROUNDLOBBYOPEN

Spangram: ELEVATORBUTTONS

Oct 14, 2025Category ListMedium

This & that

Theme words

BOULDERCRESCENTDINNERJELLYPEBBLESTONE

Spangram: ROCKANDROLL

Oct 13, 2025Category ListMedium

Bring binoculars

Theme words

DUCKFINCHGOOSEHAWKTHRUSHWARBLERWREN

Spangram: FALLMIGRATION

Oct 12, 2025Category ListMedium

Follow suit

Theme words

BRIDGEEUCHREHEARTSPINOCHLESPADESWHIST

Spangram: TRICKTAKING

Oct 11, 2025Category ListMedium

That's branding

Theme words

APPLEARCHESBULLSEYEPEACOCKSHELLSWOOSH

Spangram: ICONICLOGOS

Oct 10, 2025Category ListMedium

I'm a ladle hungry

Theme words

CHILIGOULASHGUMBOJAMBALAYARAGOUTSTEWTAGINE

Spangram: ONEPOT

Oct 9, 2025Category ListEasy

Just in case

Theme words

CHARGERCLOTHESHEADPHONESLAPTOPTOILETRIES

Spangram: PACKITUP

Oct 8, 2025Category ListMedium

Now, hear this!

Theme words

BASSFEEDBACKMIDRANGEREVERBTREBLEVOLUME

Spangram: SOUNDCHECK

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.