Today's NYT Strands is live for Wednesday, June 17, 2026 (Puzzle #836). 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: "In the barnyard"
What It Really Means
Every word on today's board is something you would find, use, or associate with life on a working farm. Think tools, equipment, structures, and essentials of agricultural work.
Think About...
- Farm tools and implements used for handling hay, livestock, and crops
- Vehicles and equipment you'd see rolling around a barnyard
- Containers and structures for carrying feed, water, or produce
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Across, up and down
Letter Count: 7 letters
Starting Zone: First letter of the fourth row
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): This is the overarching activity that ties all the barnyard items together.
Hint 2 (Warmer): Think about what humans do with land, crops, and animals to produce food and materials.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is F, last letter is G
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FARMING
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: A tool used to lift and toss loose material.
Closer: Farmers use this long-handled tool with sharp tines to move hay or straw.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 9 letters total
Answer
PITCHFORK
Word 2
Vague: A piece of barn equipment you might sit on.
Closer: A wooden or metal stand used to hold materials while you work on them, often seen in a barn workshop.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
SAWHORSE
Word 3
Vague: The heavyweight workhorse of the barnyard.
Closer: A powerful vehicle used for pulling farm equipment and plowing fields.
Letter Clue: Starts with T, 7 letters total
Answer
TRACTOR
Word 4
Vague: A container on wheels for hauling heavy loads.
Closer: A one-wheeled cart with handles, used by farmers to move soil, manure, or harvested crops.
Letter Clue: Starts with W, 11 letters total
Answer
WHEELBARROW
Word 5
Vague: A simple container for carrying liquids or feed.
Closer: A cylindrical vessel with a handle, used to haul water, milk, or grain around the barnyard.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 6 letters total
Answer
BUCKET
Full Answers
Spangram: FARMING
Theme Words:
- PITCHFORK
- SAWHORSE
- TRACTOR
- WHEELBARROW
- BUCKET
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Trickiest Word: SAWHORSE (Not everyone immediately associates a sawhorse with barnyard life, but it's a staple of farm workshops and maintenance areas.)
Our Take: A solid barnyard theme with a good mix of obvious farm staples and one curveball. PITCHFORK and WHEELBARROW are generous giveaways, while SAWHORSE rewards players who think beyond the animals and crops. FARMING ties the whole grid together cleanly without overcomplicating things.
