Today's NYT Strands is live for Tuesday, April 28, 2026 (Puzzle #786). 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: "Attention, attention!"
What It Really Means
This puzzle is all about the many ways we direct our focus and observe the world around us. Every theme word captures a different mode of seeing, watching, or paying close attention.
Think About...
- Verbs that describe focusing your senses on something
- Ways to say you're keeping an eye on something
- Synonyms for "look" that carry different intensities
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Diagonal (step-like upward movement)
Letter Count: 9 letters
Starting Zone: Begins at the start of the sixth row (bottom of the grid)
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This phrase describes an intense, predatory level of focus, the kind that never blinks.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think about the sharpest vision in the animal kingdom, often used figuratively to describe someone watching very closely.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is L, last letter is K
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LIKEAHAWK
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A small device on your wrist, or the act of keeping your eyes on something.
Closer: What you do with a clock or a suspect, same word, two meanings.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 5 letters total
Answer
WATCH
Word 2
Vague: A scientific kind of looking, often methodical and patient.
Closer: What a scientist does with a specimen or a detective with a suspect.
Letter Clue: Starts with O, 7 letters total
Answer
OBSERVE
Word 3
Vague: A dramatic, almost biblical way to say "look", often at something grand.
Closer: Archaic in modern speech, but still used for moments of awe or revelation.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BEHOLD
Word 4
Vague: To see something happen firsthand, often used in legal or formal contexts.
Closer: What you are when you see a crime occur, or a verb meaning to observe an event.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 7 letters total
Answer
WITNESS
Word 5
Vague: Continuous observation, often using technology or systems.
Closer: What security cameras do, or what a doctor does to a patient's vital signs.
Letter Clue: Starts with M, 7 letters total
Answer
MONITOR
Word 6
Vague: An informal, slightly playful way to say "look closely", involving a body part.
Closer: To stare intently, often with suspicion or curiosity, using a round organ.
Letter Clue: Starts with E, 7 letters total
Answer
EYEBALL
Full Answers
Spangram: LIKEAHAWK
Theme Words:
- WATCH
- OBSERVE
- BEHOLD
- WITNESS
- MONITOR
- EYEBALL
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: BEHOLD (Not a word most people use in daily conversation, so it may take a moment to surface. Its old-fashioned cadence makes it harder to spot in a grid full of more modern synonyms.)
Our Take: A clean, well-constructed theme with six solid synonyms for focused attention. The spangram LIKEAHAWK is the standout, it ties the whole board together with that sharp, predatory imagery. No filler words, no obscure references. Just a satisfying vocabulary workout that rewards pattern recognition.
