The January 16, 2025, NYT Strands puzzle is #319, not #320. Its theme clue is “Bar Association,” and the spangram is COCKTAILS. If you meant puzzle #320, that was published the following day, January 17.
January 16, 2025 Strands answers
The theme points to drinks served at a bar. The five theme words are:
- ZOMBIE
- COSMOPOLITAN
- MARTINI
- SIDECAR
- STINGER
The spangram is COCKTAILS.
How the “Bar Association” theme works
Each theme word names a cocktail, while COCKTAILS captures the shared category. In Strands, theme words highlight blue and the spangram highlights yellow; the spangram also touches two opposite sides of the board. For this puzzle, it runs vertically from top to bottom.
Hints if you want to solve it first
The hint sequence narrows the answers without giving away every word at once:
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- Think of popular drinks ordered at a bar.
- The theme words begin with ZO, CO, MA, SI, and ST.
- The spangram begins with CO and runs from the top edge to the bottom edge.
Players can earn a hint by finding three non-theme words; a hint reveals letters in a theme word.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the title’s puzzle number is off
The date identifies the intended puzzle: January 16 was #319, while #320 appeared on January 17. The next puzzle’s theme was “The time of our lives”; its theme words were ALPHA, BOOMER, GREATEST, MILLENNIAL, and ZOOMER, and its spangram was GENERATION GAP.
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