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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesNYT Strands puzzle #699, for Saturday, January 31, 2026, has the theme “It’s part of the game.” The spangram is HAVEABALL. Spoilers for the full answer list follow below.
Hints for Strands #699
The theme is “It’s part of the game.” Forbes also gives the clue “One for the athletes out there.”
For a clue-based nudge, TechRadar lists these words to enter for in-game hints: RACK, PILE, VOTES, LOVE, HAVE, and CLEAR. Its spangram clue: the answer has nine letters and touches the left and right sides of the board.
Full answer list
Spoilers: The seven theme words are BASE, BASKET, FOOT, PADDLE, PICKLE, RACQUET, and VOLLEY. The spangram is HAVEABALL, also written as HAVE A BALL.
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The words point to ball games, their equipment, or places where they are played. That is an interpretation of the theme; the answer list itself is reported consistently by the cited guides.
How Strands hints and the spangram work
Strands is a themed word-search puzzle. Letters can connect vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. The spangram expresses the puzzle’s shared connection and links at least two sides of the board.
As described by the cited guides, finding three valid off-theme words of at least four letters unlocks a hint that highlights a theme word.
Why the date matters
Strands releases a new daily puzzle, and “today” depends on the calendar and time zone; TechRadar says a new puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone. This answer guide is for the fixed historical date Saturday, January 31, 2026: game #699.
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Try Hard Guides, TechRadar, and Forbes report the same theme, seven regular answers, and spangram; a date-indexed archive also lists the same solution. The consulted answer lists agree. Forbes writes the spangram as HAVE A BALL in prose, while the other guides use HAVEABALL; these are two spellings of the same answer, not different solutions.
This is a cross-check among third-party answer guides and an archive, not direct confirmation from an NYT-hosted historical answer record.
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