For NYT Strands game #329 on Sunday, January 26, 2025, the theme is “Ore so they say.” Want a nudge before the full reveal? The theme points to vital elements; the spangram is PURE METAL.
Spoiler-light hints
- Theme: “Ore so they say.”
- Theme nudge: Think of vital elements.
- Spangram hint: It names the theme and runs from the top edge at column three to the bottom edge at column four.
TechRadar lists PAIN, COMA, CLAD, MULE, TEAL, and BELL as extra words that can unlock in-game hints. These are clue words, not puzzle answers. Parade’s first-letter nudges for the six theme words are TI, IR, AL, NI, CO, and CA; the spangram begins PU.
How Strands hints work
Parade’s guide reproduces instructions it attributes to The New York Times: find theme words to fill the board, then drag or tap letters to form them. Theme words are highlighted in blue, and the spangram describes the theme while touching opposite sides of the board.
A separate third-party guide, Strands.Game, describes the board as a 6×8 grid where letters can connect in any direction, including diagonally. It says that finding three valid non-theme words unlocks a hint highlighting a theme word, and that every letter belongs to a theme word or the spangram on a completed board. Strands.Game explicitly says it is not affiliated with The New York Times.
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Spoilers: January 26, 2025 answers
Stop here if you are still solving. Both TechRadar and Parade report the same six theme words and spangram. TechRadar prints the spangram as two words; Parade runs it together. The difference is spacing, not the answer.
Quick Recap
- Spangram: PURE METAL
- Theme words: NICKEL, IRON, COBALT, CADMIUM, ALUMINUM, TITANIUM
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