Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 27 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 781-810 of 943 themes.

Page 27 of 32

Aug 13, 2024Category ListEasy

Look it up!

Theme words

ALMANACATLASDICTIONARYHANDBOOKTHESAURUS

Spangram: REFERENCE

Aug 12, 2024Category ListMedium

Everybody cut footloose!

Theme words

FLOSSHUSTLEMOONWALKPIROUETTETWERKVOGUE

Spangram: DANCEMOVES

Aug 11, 2024Category ListMedium

Home stretch?

Theme words

BALCONYDECKPATIOSUNROOMTERRACEVERANDA

Spangram: BONUSSPACES

Aug 10, 2024Category ListMedium

Not just for poking

Theme words

CINNAMONCONTROLHOCKEYLICORICEMEMORYSWIZZLE

Spangram: STICKS

Aug 9, 2024Category ListMedium

Back to nature

Theme words

BIRDWATCHCAMPFISHFORAGEHIKESTARGAZESWIM

Spangram: OUTDOORSY

Aug 8, 2024Category ListMedium

Splashy event

Theme words

DRINKSFLOATSMUSICNOODLESSUNSCREENTOWELS

Spangram: POOLPARTY

Aug 7, 2024Category ListMedium

Oh, oh, oh!

Theme words

AVOCADOCHATEAUDOUGHMISTLETOERAINBOWWHOA

Spangram: RHYMETIME

Aug 6, 2024Category ListMedium

Bed, bath and beyond

Theme words

BLANKETPILLOWCASESHEETTABLECLOTHTOWEL

Spangram: LINENCLOSET

Aug 5, 2024Category ListEasy

Rolling in it

Theme words

AFFLUENTMONEYEDOPULENTPROSPEROUSWEALTHY

Spangram: THATSRICH

Aug 4, 2024Category ListEasy

In glove

Theme words

CUTICLEMIDDLENAILPALMPINKYPOINTERRINGTHUMB

Spangram: ONHAND

Aug 3, 2024HistoryMedium

A night at the museum

Theme words

BAROQUECLASSICALMEDIEVALMODERNROMANTIC

Spangram: ARTHISTORY

Aug 2, 2024Category ListMedium

Here, there, and everywhere

Theme words

ABOVEAMONGBESIDEBETWEENTHROUGHUNDERNEATH

Spangram: LOCATION

Aug 1, 2024Category ListMedium

Not stirred

Theme words

BOOTYHAIRSPRAYHANDSMARACAMARTINIRATTLESALT

Spangram: SHAKEN

Jul 31, 2024Category ListHard

Staying power

Theme words

ADHESIVEBUBBLEGUMCARAMELEPOXYGLUETAPE

Spangram: STICKYSTUFF

Jul 30, 2024Science & NatureEasy

That's a stretch!

Theme words

BRIDGECHAIRCOBRACROWMOUNTAINTREEWARRIOR

Spangram: YOGAPOSES

Jul 29, 2024Category ListMedium

Book it!

Theme words

BORROWBROWSELEARNMEETREADRENEWSTUDY

Spangram: PUBLICLIBRARY

Jul 28, 2024Category ListMedium

Daily delivery

Theme words

CHRONICLEGLOBEHERALDJOURNALTIMESTRIBUNE

Spangram: NEWSPAPER

Jul 27, 2024Category ListEasy

Bedtime story

Theme words

CLOCKSKITTENSMITTENSMUSHNOBODYSOCKS

Spangram: GOODNIGHTMOON

Jul 26, 2024SportsMedium

Go for the gold

Theme words

ARCHERYEQUESTRIANGOLFKARATESWIMMINGTRACK

Spangram: OLYMPICS

Jul 25, 2024Category ListMedium

All that jazz

Theme words

ACIDBEBOPCOOLFUNKFUSIONMODALRAGTIMESWING

Spangram: SUBGENRE

Jul 24, 2024Category ListMedium

Screen time

Theme words

CANDYFEATUREPOPCORNPROJECTORTRAILERS

Spangram: MOVIETHEATER

Jul 23, 2024Category ListEasy

You're the best!

Theme words

EXCELLENTICONICPERFECTSUPERLATIVESUPREME

Spangram: CHAMPION

Jul 22, 2024Category ListMedium

Make waves

Theme words

CANOEDINGHYDORYGONDOLAKAYAKPADDLEBOARD

Spangram: WATERCRAFT

Jul 21, 2024Category ListMedium

S-words? (a cutting-edge theme!)

Theme words

CLAYMORECUTLASSKATANAMACHETERAPIERSCIMITAR

Spangram: BLADES

Jul 20, 2024Category ListMedium

A seat at the table

Theme words

FORKGLASSKNIFENAPKINPLATESAUCERSPOON

Spangram: PLACESETTING

Jul 19, 2024Pop CultureMedium

And the Oscar goes to ...

Theme words

BERRYBRIDGESFIELDHUNTPHOENIXSTONESWANK

Spangram: BESTACTING

Jul 18, 2024Category ListEasy

At your fingertips

Theme words

CONTROLDELETEENTERESCAPERETURNSHIFTSPACE

Spangram: KEYBOARD

Jul 17, 2024Category ListMedium

Park place

Theme words

BENCHESCLIMBERSANDBOXSEESAWSLIDESWINGS

Spangram: PLAYGROUND

Jul 16, 2024Category ListMedium

Were you raised in a barn?

Theme words

CALFCHICKDUCKLINGFOALGOSLINGLAMBPIGLET

Spangram: BABYANIMAL

Jul 15, 2024Category ListMedium

Give it the ol' college try

Theme words

BROWNDUKENORTHWESTERNRICETEMPLETUFTS

Spangram: UNIVERSITIES

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.