
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
Today's NYT Strands theme is… All charged up
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #3 - spangram letters
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #971) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #971, are…
- My rating: Easy
- My score: Perfect
As nice as it is to be congratulated for completing a round without the need of any hints, missing out on a Spangram First makes it far from perfect — especially when you've spotted it immediately after the first game word.
The reason for my Spangram blindness was a rare outing for the letter J, something that is rarely seen on the Strands board, making JUICE impossible to resist connecting.
From here on it was low-wattage fare with little to, erm, get the brain fired up.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, October 29, game #970)
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.