Today's NYT Strands is live for Sunday, April 5, 2026 (Puzzle #763). 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: "Pouch perfect"
What It Really Means
You're looking for animals that carry their young in pouches, specifically, marsupials from around the world.
Think About...
- Australian wildlife with distinctive pouches
- Animals known for carrying their young externally
- Creatures that aren't placental mammals
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Across and up, left to right
Letter Count: 10 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fifth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): The category name for all the animals in today's puzzle
Hint 2 (Warmer): A biological classification for mammals that develop their young in pouches
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is M, last letter is S
---
---
---
---
---
MARSUPIALS
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A sturdy, burrowing Australian marsupial
Closer: Known for its cube-shaped droppings
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 6 letters total
Answer
WOMBAT
Word 2
Vague: A tree-dwelling marsupial that eats eucalyptus leaves
Closer: Often mistaken for a bear but is actually a marsupial
Letter Clue: Starts with K, 5 letters total
Answer
KOALA
Word 3
Vague: A small, nocturnal Australian marsupial with long ears
Closer: Also known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BILBY
Word 4
Vague: The only marsupial found in North America
Closer: Known for "playing dead" when threatened
Letter Clue: Starts with O, 7 letters total
Answer
OPOSSUM
Word 5
Vague: Australia's iconic hopping marsupial
Closer: The largest marsupial, known for its powerful hind legs
Letter Clue: Starts with K, 8 letters total
Answer
KANGAROO
Word 6
Vague: A smaller relative of the kangaroo
Closer: Often found in forested areas rather than open plains
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 7 letters total
Answer
WALLABY
Full Answers
Spangram: MARSUPIALS
Theme Words:
- WOMBAT
- KOALA
- BILBY
- OPOSSUM
- KANGAROO
- WALLABY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: BILBY (Lesser-known marsupial that many solvers might not immediately recognize)
Our Take: A solid zoology-themed puzzle that tests your knowledge of marsupials beyond the obvious kangaroos and koalas. The inclusion of BILBY adds a nice challenge for even experienced solvers. The "pouch perfect" theme prompt cleverly hints at the defining characteristic of all these animals without giving away the category too easily.
