Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, January 23, 2026 (Puzzle #691). 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: "None the wiser"
What It Really Means
This theme points to words describing innocence, lack of experience, or being easily fooled. You're looking for synonyms of naivety and gullibility.
Think About...
- Words for being inexperienced or unsophisticated
- Terms describing someone who trusts too easily
- Adjectives for innocence or lack of worldly knowledge
Spangram Clues
Orientation: From bottom to top then right and back down
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: Third letter of last row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes someone who's completely inexperienced or naive.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a common expression for someone who lacks sophistication or street smarts.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is B, last letter is Y
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BORNYESTERDAY
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Lacking experience or sophistication
Closer: Simple and innocent, often to a fault
Letter Clue: Starts with N, 5 letters total
Answer
NAIVE
Word 2
Vague: Too willing to believe things
Closer: Easily convinced or trusting
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 9 letters total
Answer
CREDULOUS
Word 3
Vague: Without guile or deception
Closer: Simple and natural, lacking sophistication
Letter Clue: Starts with A, 7 letters total
Answer
ARTLESS
Word 4
Vague: Easily tricked or deceived
Closer: Too ready to believe what you're told
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 8 letters total
Answer
GULLIBLE
Word 5
Vague: Young and inexperienced
Closer: Immature and lacking sophistication
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 6 letters total
Answer
CALLOW
Full Answers
Spangram: BORNYESTERDAY
Theme Words:
- NAIVE
- CREDULOUS
- ARTLESS
- GULLIBLE
- CALLOW
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: ARTLESS (This word can be misinterpreted as "without art" rather than its meaning of "simple and natural")
Our Take: A clever theme that plays on the phrase "none the wiser" to gather synonyms for naivety. The spangram "BORNYESTERDAY" perfectly captures the theme's essence. While most words are straightforward, "ARTLESS" provides a nice vocabulary challenge that fits the theme precisely once you understand its meaning.
