Today's NYT Strands is live for Friday, March 20, 2026 (Puzzle #747). 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: "Spring fever"
What It Really Means
This theme isn't about seasonal allergies or restless energy, it's about twisting, turning, and coiling shapes that might make you dizzy if you stare too long.
Think About...
- Shapes that curve, loop, or spiral
- Physical objects with winding patterns
- Mathematical and natural forms that twist
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Zig zag from bottom to top
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: Last letter of the eighth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think about what happens when you follow a winding path or navigate a maze.
Hint 2 (Warmer): This phrase describes motion that isn't straight, it involves constant changes in direction.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is T, last letter is N
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TWISTANDTURN
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Something that wraps around itself
Closer: What a snake or rope does when it forms circles
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 4 letters total
Answer
COIL
Word 2
Vague: An ornate, decorative twist
Closer: Fancy handwriting flourish or decorative spiral
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 8 letters total
Answer
CURLICUE
Word 3
Vague: A circular or spiral motion
Closer: What water does when it drains, or what a whirlpool creates
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total
Answer
GYRE
Word 4
Vague: A tool for opening bottles
Closer: Its shape is the perfect example of a spiral
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 9 letters total
Answer
CORKSCREW
Word 5
Vague: A three-dimensional spiral shape
Closer: The structure of DNA or a spiral staircase
Letter Clue: Starts with H, 5 letters total
Answer
HELIX
Word 6
Vague: The most common word for a winding shape
Closer: What a seashell or galaxy arm forms
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 6 letters total
Answer
SPIRAL
Full Answers
Spangram: TWISTANDTURN
Theme Words:
- COIL
- CURLICUE
- GYRE
- CORKSCREW
- HELIX
- SPIRAL
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: GYRE (Less common vocabulary that might stump casual solvers)
Our Take: The "spring fever" theme cleverly plays on both seasonal restlessness and literal twisting motions. While the spangram TWISTANDTURN perfectly captures the theme, words like CURLICUE and GYRE add a vocabulary challenge to what otherwise feels like a straightforward spiral-themed puzzle. The zig-zag orientation of the spangram is a nice touch that matches the theme's winding nature.
