Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, January 10, 2026 (Puzzle #678). 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: "If not now, when?"
What It Really Means
This theme is about putting things off - words that describe delaying action or referring to future time. Look for terms related to postponement and future moments.
Think About...
- Words for delaying or postponing actions
- Time references that aren't "now"
- Common phrases about putting things off
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Right to Left then Up
Letter Count: 13 letters
Starting Zone: Eighth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This word describes someone who habitually delays tasks.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think about putting things off until later - this person makes an art of it.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is P, last letter is R
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PROCRASTINATOR
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A word for "at some point in the future"
Closer: Not immediately, but sometime later
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 10 letters total
Answer
EVENTUALLY
Word 2
Vague: A simple time reference
Closer: Not now, but after this moment
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 5 letters total
Answer
LATER
Word 3
Vague: A word meaning "in a little while"
Closer: Soon, but not immediately
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SHORTLY
Word 4
Vague: A common word for the near future
Closer: In the immediate future
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 4 letters total
Answer
SOON
Word 5
Vague: The day after today
Closer: A classic procrastinator's favorite time
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 8 letters total
Answer
TOMORROW
Full Answers
Spangram: PROCRASTINATOR
Theme Words:
- EVENTUALLY
- LATER
- SHORTLY
- SOON
- TOMORROW
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: SHORTLY (8 letters can be tricky to spot in the grid)
Our Take: A clever theme about procrastination with a perfect spangram. The words are all common time references, making this accessible but still challenging to find in the grid. The spangram orientation (right to left then up) adds an extra layer of difficulty.
