Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, January 31, 2026 (Puzzle #699). 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: "It's part of the game"
What It Really Means
Today's theme focuses on sports equipment, game components, and athletic terms that are literally "part of the game."
Think About...
- Sports equipment and gear
- Game terminology and positions
- Physical components of various sports
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Up then diagonally upwards to the right and across then down
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fifth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes having a great time playing sports or games.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's an idiomatic expression often used to encourage enjoyment in recreational activities.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is H, last letter is L
---
---
---
---
---
HAVEABALL
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A fundamental position in baseball
Closer: Where runners start and return to
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total
Answer
BASE
Word 2
Vague: A body part used in many sports
Closer: Soccer and football both involve this
Letter Clue: Starts with F, 4 letters total
Answer
FOOT
Word 3
Vague: A tricky situation in baseball
Closer: When a runner is trapped between bases
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
PICKLE
Word 4
Vague: Used in table tennis and canoeing
Closer: A flat implement for hitting a ball
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 6 letters total
Answer
PADDLE
Word 5
Vague: A tennis or volleyball action
Closer: Hitting the ball before it bounces
Letter Clue: Starts with V, 6 letters total
Answer
VOLLEY
Word 6
Vague: Basketball scoring equipment
Closer: Where you aim the ball to score points
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BASKET
Word 7
Vague: Tennis or badminton equipment
Closer: Used to hit a shuttlecock or tennis ball
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 7 letters total
Answer
RACQUET
Full Answers
Spangram: HAVEABALL
Theme Words:
- BASE
- FOOT
- PICKLE
- PADDLE
- VOLLEY
- BASKET
- RACQUET
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: PICKLE (Baseball terminology that might not be familiar to non-sports fans)
Our Take: A solid sports-themed puzzle with clever wordplay on "part of the game." The spangram "HAVEABALL" perfectly captures the theme's spirit. The mix of obvious sports terms (BASE, FOOT) with more specific jargon (PICKLE, VOLLEY) creates a satisfying difficulty curve that rewards both casual players and sports enthusiasts.
