NYT Strands puzzle #677, published Friday, January 9, 2026, has the theme “For cubs fans” and is about bears—not the Chicago Cubs. Start with the gentle clue or letter prompts below if you want a nudge; the full answer list and spangram follow in the spoiler section.
Theme clue and hints
The theme prompt is “For cubs fans.” Parade’s gentle clue is “Like Gentle Ben.” The theme points to bear cubs.
For a little more help without seeing the full solution, the theme-word starting-letter prompts are BL, BR, GR, PA, PO, SP. The spangram begins with BE.
Full NYT Strands answers for January 9, 2026
Spoilers below.
- BLACK
- BROWN
- GRIZZLY
- PANDA
- POLAR
- SPECTACLED
Spangram: BEARS IN MIND
The six theme words combine bear color terms with named kinds of bears. The spangram completes the wordplay. Try Hard Guides and FandomWire agree on this solution; Parade’s page matches the date and hints but has a conflicting final answer list.
How Strands hints work
Strands is a themed word-search game: connect letters on the board to find theme words. Its spangram captures the theme and touches opposite sides of the board. Finding three non-theme words earns a hint, according to Try Hard Guides.
Quick Recap
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