Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, April 10, 2026 (Puzzle #768). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "On the sly"
What It Really Means
You're looking for words that describe clever, sneaky, or cunning behavior, ways people act when they're being crafty or deceptive.
Think About...
- Adjectives for clever trickery or deception
- Synonyms for sly, sneaky, or cunning
- Words describing someone who's shrewd or crafty
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonally from top to bottom
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the first row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes someone who's exceptionally clever or cunning.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a common simile comparing someone's cleverness to a particular animal.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is X
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LIKEAFOX
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Skillful at deception or trickery
Closer: Clever in a deceptive way
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
CRAFTY
Word 2
Vague: Willing to trick or deceive others
Closer: Not straightforward or honest
Letter Clue: Starts with D, 7 letters total
Answer
DEVIOUS
Word 3
Vague: Full of clever tricks
Closer: Sly and cunning
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 4 letters total
Answer
WILY
Word 4
Vague: Clever and shrewd
Closer: Having good judgment and insight
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 5 letters total
Answer
CANNY
Word 5
Vague: Having sharp powers of judgment
Closer: Astute and perceptive
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SHREWD
Word 6
Vague: Smooth and clever
Closer: Skillfully done or executed
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 5 letters total
Answer
SLICK
Word 7
Vague: Skillful in deception
Closer: Cleverly deceitful
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 7 letters total
Answer
CUNNING
Full Answers
Spangram: LIKEAFOX
Theme Words:
- CRAFTY
- DEVIOUS
- WILY
- CANNY
- SHREWD
- SLICK
- CUNNING
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: CANNY (Less common than other synonyms for cleverness)
Our Take: A solid thematic puzzle that explores synonyms for sly behavior. The spangram "LIKEAFOX" perfectly captures the theme, and the word selection covers both common and slightly more obscure terms for cunning. The diagonal spangram orientation adds a nice twist to the usual horizontal or vertical placements.
