Strands is the latest NYT word game after Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Connections, and it's a lot of fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands suggestions.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections Today and Quordle Today pages for tips and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle Today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Today's NYT Strands info is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #288) – track #1 – today's topic
What's the topic of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands topic is… Crosswords
NYT Strands Today (Game #288) – Clue #2 – Keywords
Play any of these words to unlock the game's hint system.
- SURE
- COMPANIONS
- TANK
- QUITE
- HURT
- CLEAN
NYT Strands today (game #288) – clue #3 – spangram
What's a clue for today's spangram?
• crushing word
NYT Strands today (game #288) – clue #4 – spangram position
What are the two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, fourth column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Well, the answers are below, so DON'T SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands Today (Game #288): The Answers
The answers to today's Strands game number 288 are…
- SMOG
- SPORT
- BREAKFAST
- ZORSE
- ATLEISURE
- SOCK
- SPANGRAM: PORTMANTEAUX
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: 2 tracks
In honor of today's Spangram, I've made up my own acronyms. Stranesia describes that moment playing Strands when your memory and brain power completely elude you. Today I experienced this very common feeling when, although I only had five letters left, I still couldn't pronounce the last word and I was dumbfounded.
In my defense, ZORSE is not the most common word. But of course, none of my numerous attempts (Orzes – Spicy Oreos?, etc.) made no sense either.
According to Google, there are only about 100 Zorses (a zebra-horse hybrid) in the world. Several years ago, one breeder called the zorse “the horse of the future.” But there's a problem: Zorses can't reproduce, making their future bleak.
Zorse is also rumored to be the name of a puzzle game the NYT has been testing, so this acronym business could be a clever marketing strategy. Zorse: the puzzle of the future. Or maybe it doesn't exist at all.
How was today? Send me an email and let me know.
Answers from yesterday's NYT Strands (Sunday, December 15, game #287)
- FULL
- ebb
- HAIR REMOVAL
- GIBBOUS
- ROOM
- GROWING
- SPANGRAM: MOON PHASE
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's new word game, after Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta, making it a full member of the NYT Games group and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I have a complete guide on how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check it out if you're struggling to get through it every day.
