NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 19 (game #746)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 18 (game #745).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #746) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Bring a plate

NYT Strands today (game #746) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• PRIZE
• REEL
• GREAT
• BEAT
• VERGE
• REST

NYT Strands today (game #746) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #746) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #746) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #746, are…

• DESSERT
• CASSEROLE
• VEGGIES
• BEVERAGE
• APPETIZERS
• SPANGRAM: POTLUCK

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

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In my mind, the theme “bring a plate” could only mean one thing — buffet. After failing to spot any letter Fs in the game, I wasted time trying to connect self service, but that too was absent. 

Although POTLUCK is a similar idea to a buffet, the spangram was the last thing I found on the board as I made my way around it, getting more hungry as I did so.

I also need a hint today, which forced me to start at the end with DESSERT. After my next game word, CASSEROLE, I couldn’t help thinking of the comedy song I Can’t Go Back to Savoury Now by John Shuttleworth, a tale of one man’s struggle to return to his main course after enjoying his pudding.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, March 18, game #745)

• STYLE
• COACH
• BLOOD
• LESSON
• HACK
• PRESERVER
• CYCLE
• SPANGRAM: AFTERLIFE

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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My March Madness might be cured by the new trackable bracket in Apple Sports — but it's missing one thing

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• Apple Sports added brackets for the NCAA Basketball tournament
• They're a nice visual tracking system for March Madness
• You can't fill them out in advance

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Apple Sports has joined March Madness, with a new tool to help you keep track.

Sure, the number of people who care about college sports might be small, but those numbers are deceiving when you take into account the seemingly universal appeal of what's known as "The Big Dance."

If only one-in-ten Americans follow college sports, the number of fans rises dramatically when you ask how many are in March Madness pools. The tournament kicks off March 19 and runs through April 6.

These pools, which track brackets for 64 men’s college basketball teams (and another 64 in the women’s tournament), play out over multiple rounds until, ultimately, just two teams remain. They drive friendly, chance-based competitions across the country.

The NCAA tournaments suck in fervent college basketball fans and casual observers like me, who filled out a bracket based on whether I'd ever heard the college team's name.

(Image credit: Future)

If you fill out a bracket on paper, as I did, you might struggle to keep track of all the game results; more than a dozen games can be played in a day. Doing it digitally is best, and if you follow sporting events like the March Madness tournament, Apple Sports just made it a little easier.

When I spoke to Apple's Eddy Cue back in 2024 about the launch of Apple Sports and features he wanted to add, March Madness was at the top of his list. "You have this issue of brackets and understanding that, and it’s not just a simple showing a score and things. We’ve got ideas on what to do."

Coverage of the games arrived soon after, but without any way to visualize all 190 matches of the Men's and Women's tournaments. Now, though, that’s changed, with full bracket views that let you track every game and watch your teams progress through the rounds — from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight, Final Four, and even the Championship Game.

Of course, it will also help you see how your bracket broke.

Those in pools choose teams to win at each stage, and if a team you picked to go far or all the way loses early, your bracket is effectively broken, and you lose the pool (which may or may not include winning money).

I can choose a game, track it, and even see betting odds for the particular game. What's missing is any way to build your own bracket within the Sports App and then compare that with the actual tournament results. I also wish that I could zoom out and see the bracket in its entirety. Instead, you can only swipe left to see each round.

Still, it's a nice and long-desired addition to Apple's Sports app that will help support my fleeting, three-week once-a-year interest in College basketball.

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Mozilla is launching a free built-in VPN on Firefox 149 — but with some conditions

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• Firefox 149 is adding a built-in free VPN starting from March 24
• It has a cap of 50GB of monthly data in the US, UK, Germany, France to start
• Mozilla is also rolling out a set of new tools to boost productivity

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Firefox is gearing up for its biggest browser update in years, and privacy advocates have a major reason to celebrate.

Starting March 24, Mozilla is introducing a free built-in VPN for Firefox 149, allowing users to mask their online activities without needing to install external software or pay for a premium subscription.

The virtual private network (VPN) feature works seamlessly in the background by routing your browser traffic through a proxy, effectively hiding your IP address and location from the websites you visit.

Finding the best VPN can often be a minefield of hidden costs and security risks, but Mozilla claims its native tool is entirely different.

According to the company's official blog post, the feature actively avoids the "sketchy arrangements" associated with some free services, noting that the new VPN is "built from our data principles and commitment to be the world's most trusted browser".

However, this new privacy perk comes with some notable strings attached. At launch, the free VPN will exclusively roll out to users in the US, the UK, Germany, and France. Furthermore, Mozilla is imposing a data cap, limiting users to 50 gigabytes of protected browsing data every month.

Alternatives and data limits

If you only need a tool to securely check emails or read the news on public Wi-Fi, a 50GB monthly cap is a generous allowance. But if you plan to stream HD video or download large files, you will likely burn through that data long before the month ends.

If you fall into the heavy-usage camp, you may want to look at dedicated standalone software. Providers like Proton VPN Free and Hide.me Free offer superb alternatives for users in need of more data without spending a dime.

Cheap VPN services like Surfshark and Private Internet Access may also be valuable alternatives for those in need of a reliable streaming or P2P VPN tool, starting at the equivalent of $1.99 and $1.98, respectively.

What else is coming to Firefox?

The introduction of a free VPN is just one part of a much broader browser overhaul. As we previously reported, Mozilla is putting a heavy emphasis on giving users control over their browsing experience, including strict opt-in controls for its latest generative tools.

Alongside the VPN, the upcoming Firefox 149 update will introduce Split view, allowing users to put two web pages side-by-side in a single window to easily multitask. A new Tab Notes feature will also roll out, alongside an opt-in Smart Window tool that uses AI to summarize articles and provide quick definitions directly on the page.

Ajit Varma, head of Firefox, emphasized the scale of the upcoming release, arguing the Firefox roadmap for 2026 "is the most exciting one we’ve developed in quite a while."

"We’re solely focused on building the best browser, and our features over the next few months and beyond are driven by the feedback from our community," she added.

Varma also noted that Mozilla is "prioritizing features that give users real power, choice and strong privacy protections, built in a way that only Firefox can."

With a fresh new visual layout and a brand-new mascot named Kit, the revitalized browser officially launches on March 24.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 18 (game #745)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 17 (game #744).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #745) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It follows

NYT Strands today (game #745) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LEAF
• CREEP
• SERVE
• FOLDS
• LEACH
• CLONE

NYT Strands today (game #745) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #745) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #745) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #745, are…

• STYLE
• COACH
• BLOOD
• LESSON
• HACK
• PRESERVER
• CYCLE
• SPANGRAM: AFTERLIFE

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

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The concept of things having a second life, or indeed an AFTERLIFE, is something I fully support — our ancestors were resourceful with everything they owned, caught or bought and we should be too, whether it’s last night's dinner or an iPhone we no longer need.

That said, I did really struggle to understand what today’s theme was until the very end and I’m still a bit puzzled by HACK, which I can only assume is a lifehack that you pass on to friends.

PRESERVER was today’s longest word and one I really struggled to see and connect together. Kudos if you whizzed round the board as it was a slow one for me due to the lack of hints.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, March 17, game #744)

• FLAG
• PARTY
• GODDESS
• LIGHT
• BERET
• THUMB
• PEPPER
• ROOM
• SPANGRAM: GOGREEN

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, March 18 (game #1514)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 17 (game #1513).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1514) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1514) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1514) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1514) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1514) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• E

• P

• F

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1514) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1514, are…

• CLIFF
• EXPEL
• PRIZE
• FROCK

Oh my gosh this was a difficult game today.

I was pleased with myself after getting PRIZE and then EXPEL (when has Quordle ever featured two rare letters?), but the struggle didn’t end there and I almost fell off the edge before getting CLIFF. 

Somehow my winning streak is intact. I hope yours is too.

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Daily Sequence today (game #1514) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1514, are…

• TEPID
• LURID
• ALONG
• ANKLE

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1513, Tuesday, 17 March: GREET, BROOD, GRIME, SQUAT
• Quordle #1512, Monday, 16 March: MURKY, AGENT, SONIC, ALARM
• Quordle #1511, Sunday, 15 March: GRILL, WALTZ, TROVE, TOTAL
• Quordle #1510, Saturday, 14 March: CONDO, MUSKY, EATER, SNORT
• Quordle #1509, Friday, 13 March: SCARY, MOURN, WHARF, SHARP
• Quordle #1508, Thursday, 12 March: ARTSY, GEESE, BUGGY, FOCUS
• Quordle #1507, Wednesday, 11 March: BOUGH, TOTEM, NEIGH, PENAL
• Quordle #1506, Tuesday, 10 March: AWARE, WORDY, PETTY, POWER
• Quordle #1505, Monday, 9 March: WORDY, PLUCK, MOTTO, DUMPY
• Quordle #1504, Sunday, 8 March: RETCH, SLANG, AGONY, MURKY
• Quordle #1503, Saturday, 7 March: AMBLE, HOUSE, PAINT, AORTA
• Quordle #1502, Friday, 6 March: CHILD, VIRAL, GNASH, STONY
• Quordle #1501, Thursday, 5 March: AGATE, GAUNT, BRAIN, LANCE
• Quordle #1500, Wednesday, 4 March: ENVOY, UPPER, DERBY, LLAMA
• Quordle #1499, Tuesday, 3 March: GNOME, HARDY, ISLET, ALLOY
• Quordle #1498, Monday, 2 March: SAUNA, CLASP, RIVAL, EARLY
• Quordle #1497, Sunday, 1 March: NERDY, ADEPT, PRIMO, HUMID
• Quordle #1496, Saturday, 28 February: BERTH, SNARE, QUILT, CRONE
• Quordle #1495, Friday, 27 February: STIFF, SINCE, PATSY, METAL
• Quordle #1494, Thursday, 26 February: ACTOR, ENEMY, GONER, SCENE

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Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 17 (game #1513)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 16 (game #1512).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1513) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1513) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1513) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1513) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1513) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• B

• G

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1513) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1513, are…

• GREET
• BROOD
• GRIME
• SQUAT

On reflection I should have guessed GREET first.

Instead, I went the long route, which included gambling with the rare letter Q — although knowing the word ended UAT didn’t leave any other options that I could think of.

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Daily Sequence today (game #1513) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1513, are…

• PHONY
• TENSE
• PETTY
• CLOWN

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1512, Monday, 16 March: MURKY, AGENT, SONIC, ALARM
• Quordle #1511, Sunday, 15 March: GRILL, WALTZ, TROVE, TOTAL
• Quordle #1510, Saturday, 14 March: CONDO, MUSKY, EATER, SNORT
• Quordle #1509, Friday, 13 March: SCARY, MOURN, WHARF, SHARP
• Quordle #1508, Thursday, 12 March: ARTSY, GEESE, BUGGY, FOCUS
• Quordle #1507, Wednesday, 11 March: BOUGH, TOTEM, NEIGH, PENAL
• Quordle #1506, Tuesday, 10 March: AWARE, WORDY, PETTY, POWER
• Quordle #1505, Monday, 9 March: WORDY, PLUCK, MOTTO, DUMPY
• Quordle #1504, Sunday, 8 March: RETCH, SLANG, AGONY, MURKY
• Quordle #1503, Saturday, 7 March: AMBLE, HOUSE, PAINT, AORTA
• Quordle #1502, Friday, 6 March: CHILD, VIRAL, GNASH, STONY
• Quordle #1501, Thursday, 5 March: AGATE, GAUNT, BRAIN, LANCE
• Quordle #1500, Wednesday, 4 March: ENVOY, UPPER, DERBY, LLAMA
• Quordle #1499, Tuesday, 3 March: GNOME, HARDY, ISLET, ALLOY
• Quordle #1498, Monday, 2 March: SAUNA, CLASP, RIVAL, EARLY
• Quordle #1497, Sunday, 1 March: NERDY, ADEPT, PRIMO, HUMID
• Quordle #1496, Saturday, 28 February: BERTH, SNARE, QUILT, CRONE
• Quordle #1495, Friday, 27 February: STIFF, SINCE, PATSY, METAL
• Quordle #1494, Thursday, 26 February: ACTOR, ENEMY, GONER, SCENE
• Quordle #1493, Wednesday, 25 February: SPOOL, INDEX, BLUER, FELON

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 17 (game #744)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 16 (game #743).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #744) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Happy St Patrick’s Day!

NYT Strands today (game #744) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• ROPY
• TRAP
• TYPO
• POPPY
• GORE
• TEEN

NYT Strands today (game #744) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #744) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #744) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #744, are…

• FLAG
• PARTY
• GODDESS
• LIGHT
• BERET
• THUMB
• PEPPER
• ROOM
• SPANGRAM: GOGREEN

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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It’s been a while since the NYT experimented with its yellow and blue color scheme for Strands, so seeing the many shades of green today added a unique element to the search.

After getting FLAG and PARTY first I still thought that the eight words would all be connected to St Patrick’s Day, but I soon put that aside after finding GODDESS and realizing what the real theme was.

I whizzed through the game until the final two words, where I somehow guessed “moor” before ROOM and found myself suffering letter blindness due to the three Ps in PEPPER.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, March 16, game #743)

• CHALK
• BUBBLE
• BRACKET
• OVERTIME
• CINDERELLA
• SPANGRAM: MARCHMADNESS

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/ARh3DFb