Strands Week of Themed Puzzles in Beta Highlights Spangrams and Hints

The New York Times daily word game Strands offered players a week of themed puzzles from September 30 through October 5, with each day presenting a six-by-eight letter grid, a set of linked theme words and a longer spangram that sums up the theme and spans the board. Over the seven puzzles, spangrams ranged from single words such as VALUES and SOUVENIRS to multiword phrases including HANDLE WITH CARE and ITSATRAP, and themes covered character traits, circus performers, fragile things, travel mementos and deception.

Strands requires players to trace words through adjacent letters vertically, horizontally or diagonally, and words may change direction within the grid. Every letter appears exactly once, either in one of the theme words or in the spangram. The game gives an opaque theme hint each day; players can unlock an in-game hint by entering three valid non-theme words of at least four letters. The spangram always connects at least two opposite sides of the board, and its orientation varies by puzzle.

On September 30 the puzzle’s theme was positive personal attributes. The spangram was VALUES and the other theme words were EMPATHY, HONESTY, DISCIPLINE, LOYALTY and RESPECT....