NYT Strands Hints and Answers for January 11, 2026 (Puzzle #679)

NYT Strands puzzle #679 for Sunday, January 11, 2026, has the theme “Yay!!!” The spangram is THATSGREAT, and its six theme words are AWESOME, BOOYAH, HOORAY, HUZZAH, WHOOPEE, and YIPPEE. Hints and the full answer are below, ordered from least to most revealing.

What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?

The theme clue is “Yay!!!” The answers are celebratory exclamations.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! (New York Times Games Books)	$26.60	Buy on Amazon
2		The New York Times Strictly Medium Crossword Puzzles Volume 1: 200 Medium Puzzles	$7.75	Buy on Amazon
3		New York Times Games Monday Through Friday 50 Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 10 (New York...	$8.48	Buy on Amazon
4		The New York Times Monday Through Friday Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles: 50 Puzzles from the Pages...	$13.98	Buy on Amazon
5		The New York Times Mini Crosswords, Volume 1: 150 Easy Fun-Sized Puzzles	$9.15	Buy on Amazon

What is today’s Strands spangram?

The spangram is THATSGREAT, sometimes written as “THAT’S GREAT.” In this puzzle, it runs between the top and bottom of the third column.

What are the hints for Strands #679?

Use these six in-game hint words if you want an extra nudge before revealing the answers: PIPE, MEOW, HEAT, BEAM, STOP, and HOST.

#1 Best Overall

Sale

Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! (New York Times Games Books)

$26.60

Buy on Amazon

What are the answers for Strands on January 11, 2026?

Spoilers: the six theme words are:

• AWESOME
• BOOYAH
• HOORAY
• HUZZAH
• WHOOPEE
• YIPPEE

How NYT Strands works

Strands is a daily word search played on a six-by-eight letter grid. Find words connected to the theme clue; the spangram captures their shared idea and links at least two sides of the grid. Each word follows a connected path through letters, moving horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and changing direction along the way.

Finding three valid non-theme words of at least four letters unlocks a hint that highlights letters in one of the theme words. Strands is available on the NYT website and in the NYT Games app.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1

Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! (New York Times Games Books)

$26.60

SaleBestseller No. 2

The New York Times Strictly Medium Crossword Puzzles Volume 1: 200 Medium Puzzles

$7.75

SaleBestseller No. 3

New York Times Games Monday Through Friday 50 Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 10 (New York Times Super Sunday Crosswords, 10)

$8.48

SaleBestseller No. 4

The New York Times Monday Through Friday Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles: 50 Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Crossword Puzzles)

$13.98

SaleBestseller No. 5

The New York Times Mini Crosswords, Volume 1: 150 Easy Fun-Sized Puzzles

$9.15

Best Value

Sale

The New York Times Mini Crosswords, Volume 1: 150 Easy Fun-Sized Puzzles

$9.15

Buy on Amazon

Rank #4

Sale

The New York Times Monday Through Friday Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles: 50 Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Crossword Puzzles)

$13.98

Buy on Amazon

Rank #3

Sale

New York Times Games Monday Through Friday 50 Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 10 (New York Times Super Sunday Crosswords, 10)

$8.48

Buy on Amazon

Rank #2

Sale

The New York Times Strictly Medium Crossword Puzzles Volume 1: 200 Medium Puzzles

$7.75

Buy on Amazon

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.