What is Strands? The Ultimate Word Challenge!

Strands is an engaging word search puzzle that challenges your brain and enhances your vocabulary. Available exclusively in the New York Times Games app, this puzzle adds a new twist to classic word games, pitting your wits against others in daily battles.

Each Strands puzzle presents a six by eight grid of letters, where your mission is to uncover words linked by a common theme. But there’s a special twist—find the elusive spangram, a word or phrase that encapsulates the theme, and you might just secure your victory!

How to Play: Essential Tips

- **Connect the Dots**: You can connect letters vertically, horizontally, or even diagonally—feel free to switch directions!

- **Unlock Hints**: Find three valid words (at least four letters long) that aren’t part of the theme to reveal a hint.

- **Be Observant**: Different puzzles may require you to fill in missing words, explore synonyms, or grapple with homophones, keeping you on your toes!

Today’s Strands Puzzle Inquiry

The official hint for today reads: **“Most excellent.”** If that’s not enough, here’s another clue that might ignite your thought process: **“Bodacious!”** Make sure to gather your thoughts as there are seven theme words waiting for you along with the spangram.

Critical Hints Revealed

For those who prefer spoilers, here are the first two letters of every word in today’s puzzle: - GR - BO - SW - DA - TH - RI - HY - CH

And now, the moment you've been waiting for! Today's spangram is **"THAT'S COOL."**

Full List of Solutions

Here’s the complete list of today’s words: - **GROOVY** - **BOSS** - **SWELL** - **DANDY** - **THAT'S COOL** - **RIGHTEOUS** - **HYPE** - **CHOICE**

Navigating through the grid, I found words like *GROOVY* and *BOSS* quite quickly, while *SWELL* and *DANDY* helped outline the spangram. I finally pieced together the entire puzzle without needing hints, showcasing my familiarity with these trendy terms!

Join the Fun!

Dive into the New York Times Strands puzzle today and challenge yourself! Whether you're a seasoned puzzler or a curious newcomer, this engaging word search is sure to kickstart your week with some linguistic fun. Happy puzzling!