Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, January 22, 2026 (Puzzle #690). 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: "Ode to joy"
What It Really Means
Today's theme celebrates extreme happiness and euphoric states. You're looking for words that describe the highest levels of joy and emotional elation.
Think About...
- Synonyms for extreme happiness or bliss
- States of emotional ecstasy or rapture
- Musical or poetic expressions of joy
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonally to the upper right
Letter Count: 12 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of last row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes a state of perfect happiness or bliss
Hint 2 (Warmer): It's an idiomatic expression for being in a state of supreme contentment
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is S, last letter is N
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SEVENTHHEAVEN
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A state of perfect happiness
Closer: Often associated with spiritual contentment
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 5 letters total
Answer
BLISS
Word 2
Vague: An overwhelming feeling of joy
Closer: Often used to describe intense spiritual or emotional states
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 7 letters total
Answer
ECSTASY
Word 3
Vague: A feeling of great happiness
Closer: Often follows good news or success
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 7 letters total
Answer
ELATION
Word 4
Vague: A feeling of intense excitement and happiness
Closer: Often temporary but extremely powerful
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 8 letters total
Answer
EUPHORIA
Word 5
Vague: An expression of enthusiastic praise
Closer: Often used in musical or poetic contexts
Letter Clue: Starts with R, 8 letters total
Answer
RHAPSODY
Full Answers
Spangram: SEVENTHHEAVEN
Theme Words:
- BLISS
- ECSTASY
- ELATION
- EUPHORIA
- RHAPSODY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: RHAPSODY (While it fits the "joy" theme, it's more musical than emotional, making it less obvious)
Our Take: A clever theme that plays on both emotional states and musical expressions of joy. The spangram "SEVENTHHEAVEN" perfectly captures the theme of ultimate bliss, while the word selection balances common emotional terms with more poetic choices. The diagonal spangram orientation adds a nice spatial challenge.
