The New York Times’ Strands puzzle for February 2, 2025, #336, revolved around a major awards show taking place on the same day: the Grammy Awards. The puzzle’s theme, “Album of the Year,” provided a clear connection to the music industry’s biggest night. Players were tasked with uncovering hidden words within the puzzle grid, all related to the Grammy Awards.
To assist players, the article offered hints and clues. The initial hint, “Musical stars,” nudged players towards the realm of music and celebrities. Further assistance was provided in the form of clue words that could be used to unlock in-game hints. These clue words, including “ROSE,” “NOSE,” “WINS,” “HILLS,” “STORY,” “TORY,” “TOSS,” “MODE,” “SINE,” “DANG,” “NINE,” “NINES,” “SELL,” “GELS,” “GRAM,” “GRAMS,” “RYES,” “STYLE,” and “LIES,” served as starting points for players to discover related words within the puzzle. Finding three words of four letters or more would unlock a theme word, providing further guidance.
The article then revealed the answers to the puzzle, aligning with the Grammy Awards theme. These included “HILL,” “KING,” “CROSS,” “JONES,” “SWIFT,” “STYLES,” and “WONDER,” all likely referencing prominent musicians or elements of the music industry. The ultimate goal was to find all the themed words, including the central “spangram,” which stretched across the entire puzzle board. In this particular puzzle, the spangram was “GRAMMYWINNERS,” a fitting tribute to the evening’s awards ceremony. Locating the spangram required starting with the letter “G” on the top left corner and tracing the word through the grid.
The article highlighted the importance of finding all the themed words and the spangram. Successfully uncovering all these key words would result in every letter on the game board being utilized. The author initially believed that there were always eight themed words to find but later learned that the number can vary from puzzle to puzzle. This nuance adds an element of surprise and challenge to the game.
In addition to providing solutions to the day’s Strands puzzle, the article also offered links to resources for other New York Times puzzles, including Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword. Readers could access daily hints and answers for these puzzles on CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page. The article also referenced another piece that delves into the rules of Strands for those seeking a deeper understanding of the game’s mechanics.
This particular Strands puzzle, with its Grammy Awards theme, presented an engaging challenge for word puzzle enthusiasts. The clues and hints provided a helpful framework for players to navigate the puzzle grid and uncover the hidden words. The inclusion of the spangram, “GRAMMYWINNERS,” added a satisfying layer of complexity and perfectly encapsulated the puzzle’s theme. Overall, the puzzle offered a stimulating and entertaining way to celebrate the Grammy Awards. Furthermore, the article’s comprehensive coverage, including hints, answers, and links to further resources, made it a valuable resource for puzzle solvers of all levels. The added detail about a past article explaining the rules of Strands further enhanced the article’s value, providing a complete guide for both novice and experienced players.
