Spoiler-light hint: The theme for Friday, March 13, 2026, is “Mountain band.” If you want the full answer set, start with the gradual clues below and stop before the solution reveal.
How to solve today’s Strands without spoilers
NYT Strands #740 uses a 6-by-8 grid of 48 letters. Connect adjacent letters in any direction to form words; the spangram captures the shared theme and reaches opposite sides of the board. PC Guide says finding three non-theme words unlocks an in-game hint that reveals letters in a theme answer.
Progressive clues
Each clue describes one theme answer in order. The answers are listed in the reveal below.
- A small string instrument associated with folk and bluegrass.
- A larger string instrument with paired strings and a bright, chiming sound.
- Another name for a violin, especially in folk music.
- A familiar acoustic string instrument.
- An instrument played with the mouth and often heard in country and roots music.
Spangram clue
The spangram is a two-word name for the musical style suggested by the theme. It has 14 letters, with no space in the grid entry, and runs from the bottom near the third column to the top near the fourth column, according to TechRadar and WePC.
NYT Strands #740 answers for March 13, 2026
Spoilers below.
- BANJO
- MANDOLIN
- FIDDLE
- GUITAR
- HARMONICA
- Spangram: BLUEGRASSMUSIC
Why the year matters
This is the Friday, March 13, 2026 puzzle, game #740. A separate Strands puzzle published for March 13, 2025 was game #375, with the theme “What goes around comes around,” the spangram NICECOMEBACK, and answers BOUNCE, RETURN, REBOUND, RICOCHET, and BOOMERANG. Those answers do not belong to #740.
Quick Recap
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