Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 14 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 391-420 of 943 themes.

Page 14 of 32

Sep 7, 2025Category ListMedium

Coming of age

Theme words

LCHAIMPARTYRABBISYNAGOGUETHIRTEENTORAH

Spangram: BARMITZVAH

Sep 6, 2025Category ListEasy

In stitches

Theme words

BLANKETBOOTIESMITTENSSOCKSSWEATER

Spangram: KNITTINGPROJECT

Sep 5, 2025Category ListEasy

Getting into gear

Theme words

CLEATSGLOVEHELMETPADDLERACKETSKATES

Spangram: SPORTINGGOODS

Sep 4, 2025Category ListHard

Far from ordinary

Theme words

ABSURDBIZARREECCENTRICMADCAPQUIRKYZANY

Spangram: OFFTHEWALL

Sep 3, 2025Category ListMedium

That's so sweet!

Theme words

BROWNCUBEGRANULATEDINVERTPOWDEREDTURBINADO

Spangram: SUGARY

Sep 2, 2025Category ListMedium

Things are starting to take shape

Theme words

ANGLEAREACIRCLELINEPLANEPOINTVOLUME

Spangram: GEOMETRYCLASS

Sep 1, 2025Category ListMedium

Be my guest

Theme words

EMBRACEGREETINVITERECEIVESERVEWELCOME

Spangram: HOSPITALITY

Aug 31, 2025Category ListMedium

Up the hill

Theme words

AFTERBROKECROWNFETCHPAILTUMBLINGWATER

Spangram: JACKANDJILL

Aug 30, 2025Category ListEasy

No small matter

Theme words

COLOSSALENORMOUSGIGANTICHUGEMASSIVEMIGHTY

Spangram: BIGDEAL

Aug 29, 2025Category ListMedium

A long time in the making

Theme words

ARCHBUTTEGORGEMESANEEDLEPILLARSPIRE

Spangram: ROCKFORMATION

Aug 28, 2025Category ListMedium

Do go on ...

Theme words

GABBYLOQUACIOUSTALKATIVEVERBOSEVOLUBLE

Spangram: CHATTERBOX

Aug 27, 2025Science & NatureMedium

Go with the flow

Theme words

BAYOUHARBORLAGOONLAKEOCEANPONDSWAMP

Spangram: BODIESOFWATER

Aug 26, 2025Category ListMedium

Bee friendly

Theme words

BLUEBELLCHAMOMILEDAISYMARIGOLDPRIMROSE

Spangram: WILDFLOWER

Aug 25, 2025Category ListEasy

Back to school

Theme words

BACKPACKCALCULATORFOLDERSLAPTOPNOTEBOOKS

Spangram: SUPPLIES

Aug 24, 2025Category ListMedium

Plug your ears

Theme words

BLASTINGBOISTEROUSBOOMINGLOUDNOISYSTRIDENT

Spangram: HUBBUB

Aug 23, 2025Food & DrinkMedium

Rub it in, why don't you?

Theme words

BALMBUTTERCREAMJELLYLOTIONSALVESERUM

Spangram: MOISTURIZERS

Aug 22, 2025Category ListMedium

Whodunit?

Theme words

DETECTIVEHEIRLOVERRIVALSPOUSESTRANGER

Spangram: ITSAMYSTERY

Aug 21, 2025Category ListMedium

Marvel-ous and then some

Theme words

DAREDEVILHULKROGUESTORMTHINGWOLVERINE

Spangram: SUPERHEROES

Aug 20, 2025Category ListMedium

Mint condition

Theme words

DOLLAREUROKWANZAPESOPOUNDRANDRUPEE

Spangram: GLOBALCURRENCY

Aug 19, 2025Category ListMedium

Dash it!

Theme words

HOCUSPOCUSHOITYTOITYPELLMELLWILLYNILLY

Spangram: HYPHENATED

Aug 18, 2025Category ListMedium

If the shoe fits ...

Theme words

CLOGESPADRILLELOAFERSANDALSLIPPERSNEAKER

Spangram: FOOTWEAR

Aug 17, 2025Category ListMedium

Think again!

Theme words

CREATIVITYFEELINGSINTUITIONSPONTANEITY

Spangram: RIGHTBRAIN

Aug 16, 2025Category ListEasy

Think on it!

Theme words

ANALYSISLANGUAGELOGICNUMBERSORDERREASON

Spangram: LEFTBRAIN

Aug 15, 2025Category ListMedium

Labor intensive

Theme words

DISHESGARBAGEGROCERIESLAUNDRYVACUUMING

Spangram: WHATACHORE

Aug 14, 2025Category ListMedium

Honest-to-goodness

Theme words

AUTHENTICGENUINEKOSHERLEGITIMATEREALTRUE

Spangram: BONAFIDE

Aug 13, 2025Category ListMedium

Hitchcock festival

Theme words

LIFEBOATNOTORIOUSPSYCHOROPETOPAZVERTIGO

Spangram: FILMTITLE

Aug 12, 2025Category ListEasy

Spitting image

Theme words

DOUBLEDUPLICATEFACSIMILELOOKALIKEREPLICA

Spangram: COPYTHAT

Aug 11, 2025Category ListEasy

Find the remainder

Theme words

DREGSREMNANTRESIDUESOUVENIRTRACEVESTIGE

Spangram: LEFTOVERS

Aug 10, 2025Category ListEasy

A rip-roaring good time

Theme words

BLOWOUTHOEDOWNJAMBOREELUAUSHINDIGWINGDING

Spangram: PARTIES

Aug 9, 2025Category ListHard

Gastronomic gadgets

Theme words

CORKSCREWMIXERSIEVESPATULAWHISKZESTER

Spangram: KITCHENTOOL

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.