Today’s NYT Strands tips, answers, and help for November 18 #260

Looking for the most recent Strict answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Connections puzzles.

Strands doesn’t get as much attention as its New York Times gaming siblings Wordle and Connections, but it can be just as challenging and entertaining. Strands just came out of beta, so it’s now on the official New York Times Games app, which may help it gain more fans. In this story I will go into more detail about the rules for Strands.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT Puzzle Hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections turns 1: these are the 5 most difficult puzzles so far

How do you play NYT Strands?

1. Use today’s theme to find words related to that topic. Do you see one? Drag or click the letters in order. Click on the last letter twice to submit your guess. Once you find a theme word, it will light up blue and stay that way.

2. Other words you find are considered hint words that give you clues to the theme words. Find three clue words (they must have at least four letters each) and the game will reward you by showing you a theme word. But if you can’t decipher it, find three more clue words and the game will highlight the letters of the theme word in order.

3. On the hunt for the spangrama special theme word that spans the entire puzzle, although it can flow from top to bottom. It summarizes the puzzle theme.

4. When you’re done, you’ll have used every letter on the board in a theme word or spangram. Theme words fill the entire board and do not overlap.

Tip for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: I come up for air.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: in the water.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that match the theme of the puzzle. If you’re stuck, find all the words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters you come across will work:

• READ, REAL, MEAL, PEAS, PEAL, PEALS, MELD, MELDS, HOLD, MEAN, HELD, MOLE, MAMMALS, MAMMALS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that match the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that extends from one side of the puzzle to the other. Once you have them all (I originally thought there were always eight, but have learned the number can vary), then every letter on the board is used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

• ORCA, SEAL, WALRUS, DOLPHIN, MANATE, NARWHAL

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is MARINE MAMMALS. To find it, start with M, the very last letter in the far right column, and end.