Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 20 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 571-600 of 943 themes.

Page 20 of 32

Mar 11, 2025Category ListMedium

What's the magic word?

Theme words

ABRACADABRAALAKAZAMPRESTOSHAZAMTADA

Spangram: CASTINGSPELLS

Mar 10, 2025Category ListMedium

You're pushing my buttons

Theme words

BACKCHANNELGUIDEHOMEMUTEPOWERVOLUME

Spangram: REMOTECONTROL

Mar 9, 2025Category ListMedium

Kitty corner

Theme words

BLINKHISSPOUNCEPURRSNUGGLESTRETCHSWAT

Spangram: CATBEHAVIOR

Mar 8, 2025Category ListMedium

Two thumbs up

Theme words

CODAMOONLIGHTPARASITEPLATOONSPOTLIGHT

Spangram: BESTPICTURE

Mar 7, 2025Category ListEasy

All decked out

Theme words

CANASTACRIBBAGEEUCHREPINOCHLEPOKERRUMMY

Spangram: CARDGAMES

Mar 6, 2025Category ListMedium

Love is in the apps

Theme words

CHATGHOSTLIKEMATCHMEETUPPROFILESWIPE

Spangram: ONLINEDATING

Mar 5, 2025Category ListMedium

Ahoy!

Theme words

BEAGLEBOUNTYMAYFLOWERTITANICVICTORY

Spangram: HISTORICSHIPS

Mar 4, 2025Category ListEasy

It's our game-iversary!

Theme words

CURLFILAMENTRIBBONSTRINGTENDRILTHREADWISP

Spangram: STRANDS

Mar 3, 2025Category ListEasy

A fungus among-us

Theme words

BUTTONCREMINIENOKIOYSTERSHIITAKETRUFFLE

Spangram: MUSHROOMS

Mar 2, 2025Category ListMedium

Getting closure

Theme words

BUCKLEBUTTONCLASPMAGNETSNAPVELCROZIPPER

Spangram: FASTENERS

Mar 1, 2025Category ListMedium

Let us prey

Theme words

CROCODILEHUMANLIONORCATYRANNOSAURUS

Spangram: APEXPREDATORS

Feb 28, 2025Category ListMedium

Nautical ink

Theme words

ANCHORCOMPASSEAGLEMERMAIDSHIPSWALLOW

Spangram: SAILORTATTOO

Feb 27, 2025Category ListEasy

Living large

Theme words

BIRDBREAKCHEESEFOOTLEAGUESPICTURESPENDER

Spangram: BIGSTUFF

Feb 26, 2025Category ListMedium

"Fire represents your life"

Theme words

ALLIANCECHALLENGEIMMUNITYJURYMERGEREWARD

Spangram: SURVIVOR

Feb 25, 2025Category ListMedium

Life is like a box of chocolates

Theme words

ALMONDSCARAMELLIQUEURNOUGATTOFFEETRUFFLE

Spangram: FILLINGS

Feb 24, 2025Category ListEasy

Step to it

Theme words

MOSEYSHUFFLESKIPSTROLLSTRUTTIPTOEWADDLE

Spangram: GETMOVING

Feb 23, 2025Category ListMedium

Oh, this old thing?

Theme words

BOBBLEHEADCOINCOMICPLUSHIESTAMPVINYL

Spangram: COLLECTIBLES

Feb 22, 2025Category ListHard

Here we (don't) go again

Theme words

BLOCKAGECONGESTIONGRIDLOCKOVERCROWDING

Spangram: TRAFFICJAM

Feb 21, 2025Category ListMedium

"To infinity and beyond!"

Theme words

ALIENBULLSEYEBUZZSLINKYTWITCHWHEEZYWOODY

Spangram: TOYSTORY

Feb 20, 2025Category ListMedium

Together for the present

Theme words

DIAMONDFIFTIETHFIRSTGOLDPAPERSIXTIETH

Spangram: ANNIVERSARY

Feb 19, 2025Category ListEasy

Pick your own prefix

Theme words

BLACKBLUEELDERGOLDENHUCKLERASPSALMONSTRAW

Spangram: BERRIES

Feb 18, 2025Category ListEasy

Ouch!

Theme words

BUMBLEBEEHORNETJELLYFISHPLATYPUSSCORPION

Spangram: STINGERS

Feb 17, 2025Category ListMedium

Sun shade

Theme words

CANARYDAFFODILGOLDENRODLEMONMUSTARDSAFFRON

Spangram: YELLOW

Feb 16, 2025Category ListMedium

Flour power

Theme words

ALMONDBUCKWHEATCHICKPEACORNRICETAPIOCA

Spangram: GLUTENFREE

Feb 15, 2025Category ListHard

Ice packs

Theme words

AVALANCHEDEVILSJETSLIGHTNINGSHARKSWILD

Spangram: HOCKEYTEAM

Feb 14, 2025Category ListMedium

Will you be my valentine?

Theme words

ANGELDARLINGHONEYLOVEBUGPOOKIESNOOKUMS

Spangram: ENDEARMENT

Feb 13, 2025Category ListEasy

It's in the cards

Theme words

BABYBIRTHDAYCONGRATSLOVESYMPATHYWEDDING

Spangram: GREETINGS

Feb 12, 2025Category ListMedium

Don't stop believin'

Theme words

GIRLLONELYMIDNIGHTSMALLTOOKTOWNTRAINWORLD

Spangram: JOURNEY

Feb 11, 2025Category ListHard

"Attention all shoppers"

Theme words

BATHBEAUTYELECTRONICSGARDENHOMEKITCHENTOYS

Spangram: BIGBOX

Feb 10, 2025Food & DrinkEasy

The munchies

Theme words

CANDYCHEESECHIPSFRUITGRANOLANUTSPOPCORN

Spangram: SNACKTIME

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.