NYT Strands puzzle #316, for Monday, January 13, 2025, has the theme “Hole foods.” The spangram is BAGELS, and the six theme words are PLAIN, EVERYTHING, GARLIC, RAISIN, SESAME, and BLUEBERRY. If you want to solve it yourself first, use the hints below before opening the answer list.
Hints for Strands #316
Start with the theme
“Hole foods” points to bagel varieties. TechRadar’s clue is “Great with cheese spread,” while Forbes suggests “Not donuts” and “Think flavors.”
Use the starting letters
Parade gives these initial-letter clues: PL, BL, EV, RA, SE, and GA for the six theme words. The spangram starts BA.
Spangram placement
The spangram runs horizontally across the fourth row, from the right side of the board to the left, according to TechRadar and Parade.
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Full answers (spoilers)
Spangram: BAGELS
Six theme words: PLAIN, EVERYTHING, GARLIC, RAISIN, SESAME, BLUEBERRY
Four guides—TechRadar, Parade, Try Hard Guides, and Forbes—agree on this answer set.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Strands hints work
The New York Times instruction reproduced by Parade is: “Find theme words to fill the board.” Found theme words stay highlighted in blue; players can drag or tap letters to form words. The spangram describes the theme, touches two opposite sides of the board, and can consist of two words. Find three non-theme words to earn a hint, which reveals the letters of a theme word. Parade’s guide reproduces these instructions.
TechRadar says Strands is playable through the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. The cited guide does not establish current access requirements or price. TechRadar
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