NYT Strands puzzle #400 for Monday, April 7, 2025, has the theme clue “Half-and-half.” The hints below start gently; the complete answer list and spangram are kept behind a spoiler warning.
Hints for the April 7 Strands puzzle
Theme nudge
Think of creatures that blend human and animal traits, or combine parts of different animals.
Letter and board hints
- The first two letters of the entries, in order, are ME, JA, GR, SA, CE, and HY. The first entry is in the top half of the board.
- The spangram has 14 letters, excluding its display space. It runs mostly vertically, from the top edge at column 1 to the bottom edge at column 6.
Words to find for in-game hints
TechRadar lists CRATE, TRIM, MICE, HERD, CRACK, and PEAK as clue words that can help earn hints in the game.
How Strands hints work
According to gameplay instructions attributed to the New York Times and reproduced by Parade, the goal is to “Find theme words to fill the board.” Theme words remain highlighted in blue. Players drag or tap letters to make words; when tapping, double-tap the final letter to submit. Theme words fill the board without overlapping.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The spangram describes the theme, touches two opposite sides of the board, and may consist of two words; it is highlighted in yellow. Finding three non-theme words earns a hint. A hint reveals the letters of a theme word; if a hint is already active, the next hint shows that word’s letter order.
Spoiler warning: full answer set
The spangram and all five theme-word answers are below.
Rank #2
Spangram
HYBRID CREATURE (14 letters without the display space).
Theme words
- MERMan
- JACKALOPE
- GRIFFIN
- SATYR
- CENTAUR
The answer set and date are consistent across guides from TechRadar, Parade, and Try Hard Guides.
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