Strands: Clues, Spangram, and Solutions for Thursday, January 9th

Are you seeking hints, spangram, and answers for the Wednesday’s Strands puzzle? You can find them here:

ForbesNYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram And Answers For Wednesday, January 8By Paul Tassi

If you’re not knowledgeable about a specific type of animal and a method to catch it, today’s puzzle may be challenging for you.

How To Play Strands

The New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a variation of the traditional word search game. It’s currently in beta, meaning it will continue only if enough people participate daily.

A new game of Strands is available every day. You will be presented with a grid of six by eight letters. Your goal is to identify a group of words with a common theme, accompanied by a clue indicating the theme. When you discover a theme word, it will be highlighted in blue.

In addition to the theme words, you must also find a special word known as a spangram. This word reveals the commonality among the theme words. The spangram connects opposite sides of the board. While the theme words are not proper names, the spangram may be a proper name. The spangram will remain highlighted in yellow once found.

Each letter is used once in either a theme word or the spangram. You can connect letters vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, and change directions within a word. If you’re using a touchscreen, double-tap the final letter to submit your guess.

If you identify three valid words, each with a minimum of four letters, that are not part of the theme, you’ll unlock the Hint button. Clicking this button will highlight the letters forming one of the theme words.

Be prepared for challenges as you play. Some days may require you to complete missing words in a phrase, while others may focus on synonyms or homophones. The game’s difficulty varies daily, and the creators aim to surprise you occasionally.

What Is Today’s Strands Hint?

First, the official NYT hint is:

Off the hook!

My hint to guide you toward the solution is:

One specific type

What Are Today’s Strands Answers?

Here is the spangram followed by the full list of answers in case you need extra help:

TUNAFAMILY

Visual representation on the board:

Answer list below:

• ALBACORE
• YELLOWFIN
• BLUEFIN
• SKIPJACK
• BIGEYE

For someone unfamiliar with fish or fishing, this puzzle was quite challenging. Did you struggle like I did, trying to figure out names like BIGEYE or SKIPJACK? Yellowfin and Bluefin were easier to spot. Albacore, despite knowing it, caused me some confusion. How about you?

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Explore my sci-fi novels, the Herokiller series and the Earthborn Trilogy.