Today's NYT Strands is live for Monday, January 19, 2026 (Puzzle #687). 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: "Shaking things up"
What It Really Means
Look for words that describe different types of movement, specifically motions that involve shaking, wobbling, or vibrating.
Think About...
- Physical movements that involve instability or vibration
- Words describing earthquake-like motions
- Synonyms for shaking, trembling, or oscillating
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Downwards and slightly to the right
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of first row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase suggests getting ready for action or starting something energetic.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think about what you might say before a performance or concert.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is K
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LETSROCK
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Gentle side-to-side motion
Closer: What trees do in the wind
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 4 letters total
Answer
SWAY
Word 2
Vague: Major ground movement
Closer: What happens during seismic activity
Letter Clue: Starts with Q, 5 letters total
Answer
QUAKE
Word 3
Vague: To be indecisive or unsteady
Closer: What a flag does in the breeze
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total
Answer
WAVER
Word 4
Vague: Unsteady movement on an edge
Closer: What you might do on a tightrope
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 6 letters total
Answer
TEETER
Word 5
Vague: Unstable circular motion
Closer: What a spinning top does before falling
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 6 letters total
Answer
WOBBLE
Word 6
Vague: Shake with fear or cold
Closer: What you might do in freezing weather
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 7 letters total
Answer
TREMBLE
Word 7
Vague: Rapid back-and-forth motion
Closer: What a phone does on silent mode
Letter Clue: Starts with V, 8 letters total
Answer
VIBRATE
Full Answers
Spangram: LETSROCK
Theme Words:
- SWAY
- QUAKE
- WAVER
- TEETER
- WOBBLE
- TREMBLE
- VIBRATE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: QUAKE (The Q-starting word can be less obvious than other shaking synonyms)
Our Take: A clever theme that plays on both literal and figurative meanings of "shaking things up." The spangram LETSROCK ties perfectly to the musical connotation while the theme words explore various types of movement. Seven theme words instead of the usual six adds a slight challenge, but the consistent motion theme keeps it approachable.
