Today’s Strands is a relatively easy one, in my experience, but I’ve compiled some hints for you below anyway, just in case.

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 #165) – hint #1 – today’s theme

What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?

Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Is this some kind of joke?

NYT Strands today (game #165) – hint #2 – clue words

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

  • DROWN
  • FOOT
  • JOKER
  • FOUR
  • WREST
  • ROLE

NYT Strands today (game #165) – hint #3 – spangram

What is a hint for today’s spangram?

Funny person

NYT Strands today (game #165) – hint #4 – spangram position

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

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #165) – the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 165 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Strands, game #165, are…

  • COMIC
  • FOOL
  • CLOWN
  • JESTER
  • PRANKSTER
  • BUFFOON
  • SPANGRAM: YOUREKIDDING

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

If I didn’t write this column each day I wouldn’t always need to find hint words in Strands. And today was one of those days. While scanning the board for words I could include in my hints, I accidentally uncovered COMIC, FOOL and CLOWN, meaning I was halfway through the game before I should even have started. It was that simple!

The spangram was the hardest thing about it, actually; I was convinced it would include JOKE or JOKER in some way, but the J went into JESTER instead and the spangram was the less obvious YOUREKIDDING. But I doubt people will struggle today even with that in mind – the words are all just too obvious.

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


Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 14 August, game #164)

  • RANCH
  • BUNGALOW
  • CRAFTSMAN
  • COLONIAL
  • CABIN
  • COTTAGE
  • SPANGRAM: HOUSES

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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