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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

Your Strands expert

Marc McLaren
Your Strands expert

Marc McLaren

NYT Strands today (game #254) – hint #1 – today’s theme

What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?

Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Spell it out

NYT Strands today (game #254) – hint #2 – clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • CHORE
  • ROOT
  • BAND
  • TALE
  • HAND
  • CHART

NYT Strands today (game #254) – hint #3 – spangram

What is a hint for today’s spangram?

It’s phonetic

NYT Strands today (game #254) – hint #4 – spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #254) – the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 254 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Strands, game #254, are…

  • ECHO
  • VICTOR
  • DELTA
  • FOXTROT
  • GOLF
  • TANGO
  • BRAVO
  • SPANGRAM: NATOALPHABET

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 1 hint

I’ve used the NATOALPHABET so many times over the past month or so that those code words should be seared into my brain. I had some work done on my car, and spent seemingly hours speaking to people on the phone (garage, insurance, hire car firm etc) to give them my license plate number, my address, postal code and so on. The phonetic alphabet was the obvious way I could guarantee they got down my information properly, but I always struggled to remember some of the specifics. What was K again? KING? KITTEN? Was P PEPPER or PETER or PIGGY or PUPIL? None of them, of course – K is KILO and P is PAPA, but hey, I was never in the military…

Fortunately all of the answers in today’s Strands were ones I knew, but I did need a hint to get started. I also struggled with the spangram – finding ALPHABET early on, but not realizing it needed the NATO bit at the start until I’d completed most of the other answers. Anyway, SIERRA ECHO ECHO YANKEE OSCAR UNIFORM TANGO OSCAR MIKE OSCAR ROMEO ROMEO OSCAR WHISKEY!

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Monday, 11 November, game #253)

  • NURSE
  • DOCTOR
  • SURGEON
  • PHARMACIST
  • DENTIST
  • SPANGRAM: MEDICALCAREER

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and 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.

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Useful reference for domestic helper.