Archive studyCategories, difficulty, clue trendsPage 6 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 151-180 of 943 themes.

Page 6 of 32

May 5, 2026Category ListMedium

Get up!

Theme words

ALARMDATEDISPLAYRADIOSNOOZETIMETUNER

Spangram: DIGITALCLOCK

May 4, 2026Category ListMedium

May the forest be with you

Theme words

ASPENBIRCHCEDARCYPRESSDOGWOODEUCALYPTUS

Spangram: BRANCHOUT

May 3, 2026Category ListMedium

Something's fishy

Theme words

BIZARREPECULIARQUIRKYSTRANGEUNUSUALWEIRD

Spangram: THATSODD

May 2, 2026Category ListMedium

All the right moves

Theme words

COASTERKICKPONYSAILORSCUFFSHUFFLEWIZARD

Spangram: LINEDANCE

May 1, 2026Category ListMedium

I ❤️ Hawaii

Theme words

HULALUAUMACADAMIAPINEAPPLEPOKEUKULELE

Spangram: ALOHASPIRIT

Apr 30, 2026Category ListMedium

Wet blankets

Theme words

AEROSOLDRIZZLEHUMIDITYMISTSTEAMVAPOR

Spangram: CONDENSATION

Apr 29, 2026Category ListEasy

Fish or cut bait

Theme words

BOBBERCOOLERHOOKLUREPLIERSREELSWIVELWEIGHT

Spangram: TACKLE

Apr 28, 2026Category ListEasy

Attention, attention!

Theme words

BEHOLDEYEBALLMONITOROBSERVEWATCHWITNESS

Spangram: LIKEAHAWK

Apr 27, 2026Category ListMedium

The ayes have it!

Theme words

ICICLEICONIDOLIZEIOTAIRONICISLANDIVORY

Spangram: EYEOPENERS

Apr 26, 2026Category ListEasy

Get into it

Theme words

ARGUEBICKERDIFFERQUARRELSQUABBLEWRANGLE

Spangram: LOCKHORNS

Apr 25, 2026Category ListMedium

On the shopping block

Theme words

CONVENIENCECORNERDISCOUNTGROCERYLIQUOR

Spangram: STOREFRONT

Apr 24, 2026Category ListMedium

Hullabaloo

Theme words

BELLOWCATERWAULCLAMORHOLLERSHOUTWHOOP

Spangram: LETSGETLOUD

Apr 23, 2026Category ListMedium

Provinces of the pantheon

Theme words

HARVESTLOVEMARRIAGETHUNDERUNDERWORLDWISDOM

Spangram: DOMAIN

Apr 22, 2026Category ListMedium

Earth Day

Theme words

DONATERECYCLEREDUCEREFILLREPAIRREUSE

Spangram: CONSERVATION

Apr 21, 2026Category ListMedium

Risky business

Theme words

ADVENTUROUSBOLDCOURAGEOUSGUTSYINTREPID

Spangram: DAREDEVILS

Apr 20, 2026Category ListMedium

Gloriously glaring!

Theme words

GLEAMGLIMMERGLINTGLISTENGLITTERGLOW

Spangram: CATCHTHELIGHT

Apr 19, 2026Category ListMedium

Small change

Theme words

ADJUSTALTERIMPROVEMODIFYREFINETWEAK

Spangram: THEREIFIXEDIT

Apr 18, 2026Category ListMedium

Not too much

Theme words

AFFORDABLEBARGAINBUDGETINEXPENSIVESALE

Spangram: ONTHECHEAP

Apr 17, 2026Category ListEasy

Shell company

Theme words

ABALONECLAMCONCHLIMPETMUSSELOYSTERSCALLOP

Spangram: MOLLUSK

Apr 16, 2026Category ListMedium

This is not working

Theme words

HOBBYINTERESTPASTIMERECREATIONSIDELINE

Spangram: JUSTFORFUN

Apr 15, 2026Category ListMedium

Gift of the month

Theme words

DIAMONDGARNETOPALPERIDOTTOPAZTURQUOISE

Spangram: BIRTHSTONE

Apr 14, 2026Category ListMedium

It's a little unclear

Theme words

BEDIMMEDBLURRYCLOUDYFADEDHAZYMUTEDSOFT

Spangram: OUTOFFOCUS

Apr 13, 2026Category ListMedium

While not in use

Theme words

BICYCLEGRILLHOSEMOWERTOOLSWHEELBARROW

Spangram: STORAGESHED

Apr 12, 2026Category ListMedium

Get ready!

Theme words

BEAUTIFYBRUSHCOMBGROOMPREENPRIMPSTYLE

Spangram: INTHEMIRROR

Apr 11, 2026Category ListEasy

You're putting me on

Theme words

BEANIEBERETBOWLERDERBYFEDORASOMBREROTOQUE

Spangram: TOPGEAR

Apr 10, 2026Category ListMedium

On the sly

Theme words

CANNYCRAFTYCUNNINGDEVIOUSSHREWDSLICKWILY

Spangram: LIKEAFOX

Apr 9, 2026Category ListMedium

In the paint

Theme words

ACRYLICENAMELFRESCOPASTELTEMPERAWATERCOLOR

Spangram: MEDIUM

Apr 8, 2026Category ListHard

We're going under cover

Theme words

AFGHANBLANKETCOMFORTERQUILTSPREADTHROW

Spangram: BEDCLOTHES

Apr 7, 2026Category ListEasy

Taking the helm

Theme words

BEARINGCOURSEFATHOMKNOTMARKWAYPOINT

Spangram: SMOOTHSAILING

Apr 6, 2026Category ListHard

Fringe group

Theme words

BOUNDARYBRINKEDGEEXTREMITYMARGINVERGE

Spangram: OUTERLIMITS

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.