Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 23 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 661-690 of 943 themes.

Page 23 of 32

Dec 11, 2024Category ListMedium

Board certified

Theme words

CHISELDRILLJIGSAWLATHEPLANESANDERVISE

Spangram: WOODWORKING

Dec 10, 2024Category ListEasy

Something to see

Theme words

FEATUREFILMFLICKMOVIEPICTURESHORTTALKIE

Spangram: CINEMATIC

Dec 9, 2024Category ListMedium

Quiet at first

Theme words

GNOMEHONESTYKNUCKLEMNEMONICPSALMWRAP

Spangram: SILENTLETTER

Dec 8, 2024Category ListMedium

A timely theme

Theme words

ANALOGBEZELCROWNDIGITALFACEHANDSLUXURY

Spangram: WATCHWORDS

Dec 7, 2024Category ListMedium

Prepare to be eaten

Theme words

BAKEDFONDANTFRIEDMASHEDROASTEDSCALLOPED

Spangram: HOTPOTATO

Dec 6, 2024Category ListMedium

Find your people

Theme words

BUNCHCIRCLECLIQUECLUBCROWDGROUPSOCIETY

Spangram: FELLOWSHIP

Dec 5, 2024Category ListMedium

Gonna fly now!

Theme words

ANGELBUTTERFLYDRAGONFAIRYGRIFFINSTORK

Spangram: WINGEDTHING

Dec 4, 2024Category ListMedium

I now pronounce you ...

Theme words

ACUTECEDILLACIRCUMFLEXGRAVETILDEUMLAUT

Spangram: DIACRITICS

Dec 3, 2024Science & NatureMedium

Lead the way

Theme words

CANDLEFLASHLIGHTHEADLAMPLANTERNTORCH

Spangram: ILLUMINATION

Dec 2, 2024Category ListMedium

Beatlemania!

Theme words

BLACKBIRDHELPREVOLUTIONTAXMANYESTERDAY

Spangram: SONGTITLES

Dec 1, 2024Category ListMedium

Old hang-ups

Theme words

CRADLEDIALHANDSETRECEIVERRINGERSWITCH

Spangram: ROTARYPHONE

Nov 30, 2024Category ListMedium

Yas Queen!

Theme words

BLOWSCOMEEASYFANTASYLIFEREALWIND

Spangram: BOHEMIANRHAPSODY

Nov 29, 2024Category ListMedium

Give me a break

Theme words

CHILLLOAFLOUNGELUXURIATEPAUSERELAXUNWIND

Spangram: DOWNTIME

Nov 28, 2024Category ListMedium

Thank goodness!

Theme words

CRANBERRIESGRAVYPOTATOESROLLSTURKEYYAMS

Spangram: LETSFEAST

Nov 27, 2024Category ListMedium

Come fly with me

Theme words

DELTAFRONTIERSOUTHWESTSPIRITUNITEDVIRGIN

Spangram: AIRLINES

Nov 26, 2024Category ListMedium

Open-and-shut case

Theme words

BARRELBUCKETCROSSBODYDUFFELMESSENGERTOTE

Spangram: HANDBAGS

Nov 25, 2024Category ListMedium

Plan on it

Theme words

APPOINTMENTDATEEVENTHOLIDAYMONTHWEEKYEAR

Spangram: CALENDAR

Nov 24, 2024Category ListEasy

Start small

Theme words

DEVILDIPPERFOOTLEAGUERASCALSROCKSPOONWOMEN

Spangram: LITTLE

Nov 23, 2024Category ListMedium

Did you hear that?

Theme words

BANGCRASHCRUNCHHONKJINGLEKAPOWSIZZLE

Spangram: SOUNDEFFECTS

Nov 22, 2024Category ListMedium

This is the place!

Theme words

BENDBOULDERBUFFALOMOBILEPHOENIXRIVERSIDE

Spangram: CITYNAME

Nov 21, 2024Category ListEasy

You're getting warm

Theme words

BROOMCHIMNEYFLUEHEARTHMANTELPOKERSCREEN

Spangram: FIREPLACE

Nov 20, 2024Category ListMedium

For our furry friends

Theme words

BALLBONECATNIPCOLLARKIBBLELASERLITTER

Spangram: PETSUPPLIES

Nov 19, 2024Category ListMedium

Pick-ups

Theme words

CHOPSTICKSFORKKNIFESKEWERSPOONSPORKTONGS

Spangram: UTENSILS

Nov 18, 2024Category ListEasy

Coming up for air

Theme words

DOLPHINMANATEENARWHALORCASEALWALRUS

Spangram: MARINEMAMMALS

Nov 17, 2024Category ListEasy

Would you look at that?

Theme words

ARCHBRIDGECASTLEFORTMONUMENTPALACETOWER

Spangram: LANDMARKS

Nov 16, 2024Category ListHard

"Oh, you!"

Theme words

AMUSINGCOMICDROLLLAUGHABLERIOTOUSWITTY

Spangram: THATSFUNNY

Nov 15, 2024Category ListMedium

Dress for lunch

Theme words

ICEBERGKALERADICCHIOROMAINEWATERCRESS

Spangram: SALADGREENS

Nov 14, 2024Category ListMedium

Name of the game

Theme words

GREENMUSTARDORCHIDPEACOCKPLUMSCARLET

Spangram: CLUESUSPECTS

Nov 13, 2024Category ListEasy

We're walking

Theme words

GIBBONHUMANKANGAROOMEERKATOSTRICHPANGOLIN

Spangram: BIPEDAL

Nov 12, 2024Category ListMedium

Spell it out

Theme words

BRAVODELTAECHOFOXTROTGOLFTANGOVICTOR

Spangram: NATOALPHABET

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.