This page covers NYT Strands for Jan. 5, game #673. The only details we can confirm for that board are its date and number, so this guide gives you a way to solve it step by step, with hints first and the answer words held back until you ask for them.
What is confirmed about game #673
A listing for the January 5 Strands puzzle identifies it as game #673. That is the only specific detail we can stand behind. We could not confirm the day’s theme, its spangram, or its answer words, so this article does not name them. Strands boards change daily, and answers from other Strands games do not carry over.
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How Strands works
Strands is a word-search-style puzzle. You are given a letter grid and a theme, and you find groups of letters that form theme words. One of those words is the spangram, a theme word that runs from one edge of the board to the opposite edge. Finding the spangram usually makes the rest of the board easier, because it tells you what kind of words to look for.
Solving the January 5 board in tiers
Work through the puzzle in this order, and stop as soon as you have enough to continue:
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- Read the theme. Say the theme out loud and list five or six words you would expect under it. Do not look at the grid yet.
- Look for double letters and unusual clusters. Words with repeated letters or uncommon letter pairs stand out in a dense grid and are often easy to anchor.
- Hunt the edges. Scan the first and last rows and columns for the start or end of a long string. A spangram must touch two opposite edges, so its endpoints are the best place to start.
- Trace one word at a time. Confirm each word by its full path before you move on. Letters can be used only once within a word, but may touch other words.
- Use the hint tier you need. If you are stuck, check for a hint before a full answer. A hint that names the category or the number of words is usually enough to unlock the next step.
Common reasons people get stuck
- Chasing a non-theme word. Common English words can be inside the grid by chance. Check each candidate against the theme before you commit to it.
- Tracing diagonals without checking adjacency. Letters must connect in a continuous path, including diagonal steps. A word that looks right on a grid can fail if one letter is not adjacent to the next.
- Overlooking the spangram. Solvers often find the smaller theme words first and miss the long one. Searching the edges directly can break the deadlock.
- Using the wrong date. Confirm you have the January 5 board and game #673 before comparing hints, since puzzle numbers and dates are the easiest way to mix up two boards.
Where to check the answers
If the tiers above do not get you to the finish, the full answer list for game #673 is the next step. Make sure any guide you use names the same date and game number, and treat any answer list that does not match both as belonging to a different puzzle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this guide does not establish
We have not verified the January 5 theme, spangram, or answer words, and we have not played this board to test the hints above. The steps describe how Strands is built, not the specific solution, so they should be read as general solving method rather than a confirmed walkthrough for this day.
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- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
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