NYT Strands puzzle #675, for Wednesday, January 7, 2026, has the theme clue “Open wide.” Try the hints below before scrolling to the full answer list.
Hints for Strands #675
Reveal these in order to get progressively closer to the solution.
- Theme clue: “Open wide.”
- Gentle hint: “Brace face.”
- Theme-word initials: DR, FL, MI, FL, TO.
- Spangram initials: DE.
How to use the hints
Think of words associated with a visit to a dentist. If you need another nudge, NYT Strands awards a hint for every three non-theme words you find. A hint reveals letters of a theme word; if one is already active, the next hint reveals that word’s letter order, according to the rules quoted in Parade’s dated guide.
Spoiler warning: full answers below
The answer list and spangram are revealed below.
Spangram
DENTISTSOFFICE
Theme words
- DRILL
- FLOSS
- MIRROR
- FLUORIDE
- TOOTHBRUSH
How the Strands board works
Parade’s guide attributes these rules to The New York Times: theme words fill the board, are highlighted in blue, and do not overlap. The spangram describes the theme, touches two opposite sides of the board, and may consist of two words; it is highlighted in yellow.
#1 Best Overall
The dated answer guides from Parade and Technobezz agree on the January 7 theme and solution. The listed answers are guide-confirmed; no direct NYT archive page was available to verify them independently.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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