Today's NYT Strands is live for Saturday, June 13, 2026 (Puzzle #832). 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: "Track event"
What It Really Means
This is a clever double entendre. "Track event" sounds like a sporting competition on a running track, but the actual theme points to a different kind of track -- a music recording session where you belt out your favorite songs. Think karaoke night, not the Olympics.
Think About...
- Things you'd encounter at a karaoke bar or recording studio
- Equipment and elements involved in singing along to a track
- Words associated with waiting your turn and performing
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Across, up and across again (touches opposite edges)
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fourth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This is the event itself -- the activity that ties all the theme words together. Think of a Friday night out with friends and a microphone.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's a Japanese word that became a global phenomenon. You sing along to instrumental tracks of popular songs.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is K, last letter is E
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KARAOKE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A line of people waiting for their turn to sing
Closer: You add your name to this list when you want to perform next
Letter Clue: Starts with Q, 5 letters total
Answer
QUEUE
Word 2
Vague: What you actually perform when you take the stage
Closer: Every karaoke track has one of these -- the composition with lyrics
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 4 letters total
Answer
SONG
Word 3
Vague: The art form that makes karaoke possible
Closer: Melodies, harmonies, and rhythms -- the backbone of every track
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 5 letters total
Answer
MUSIC
Word 4
Vague: The device that projects the sound to the whole room
Closer: A big cabinet with drivers that amplifies the backing track and vocals
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 11 letters total
Answer
LOUDSPEAKER
Word 5
Vague: The words you read off the screen
Closer: Every song has these -- the text that scrolls with the bouncing ball
Letter Clue: Starts with L, 6 letters total
Answer
LYRICS
Word 6
Vague: The essential tool every singer holds
Closer: A handheld device that converts your voice into an amplified signal
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 10 letters total
Answer
MICROPHONE
Full Answers
Spangram: KARAOKE
Theme Words:
- QUEUE
- SONG
- MUSIC
- LOUDSPEAKER
- LYRICS
- MICROPHONE
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: QUEUE (The spelling is unintuitive for many players, and it's the least "music-centric" word in the set, making it easy to overlook as a theme word)
Our Take: "Track event" is a sharp bit of wordplay that sets you up to think athletics before pivoting to karaoke. The word set covers the full karaoke experience from waiting your turn (QUEUE) to belting into the MICROPHONE. LOUDSPEAKER is a generous 11-letter gift that helps unlock the hint system quickly. Solid Saturday puzzle with a satisfying aha moment.
