en
strands hint
/strændz hɪnt/
Definition
1
A clue, tip, or nudge provided to assist in solving the daily New York Times Strands puzzle, a thematic word-search game featuring hidden words and a central 'spangram.'
2
Informal gaming slang for subtle guidance on uncovering the theme or words in NYT Strands, often sought online to avoid spoilers.
Examples
My coffee-fueled stare-down with the grid ended when a sneaky strands hint revealed the theme.
She whispered the strands hint like a secret spell, turning my puzzle frustration into smug victory.
Without that strands hint, I'd still be circling letters like a conspiracy theorist on a corkboard.
The strands hint was so elegantly vague, it felt like cheating with class.