Listed below are the solutions for the NYT Strands puzzle #686 at present, launched on January 18th, 2026, and a few hints that can assist you remedy them.
The New York Occasions are recognized for the big selection of video games they publish for readers to finish on the each day. They’d additionally revealed the viral phrase sport, Wordle, in 2022, so as to add to their assortment.
A brand new sport has been launched by the paper, known as Strands, which is at present in beta. On this sport, there’s a theme of phrases on a board and it’s essential discover the theme associated phrases.
After getting discovered a theme associated phrase, it would keep crammed in blue and to create these phrases, you’ll need to pull or sort the letters. All the letters on the board are used to make up phrases for the theme and the letters don’t overlap into different phrases.
There may be additionally a “spangram” which is a phrase on the board that describes the theme of the puzzle for the day. It can contact two reverse sides of the board and could also be two phrases.
After getting discovered the spangram phrase, it would keep highlighted in yellow.
An instance of a spangram is FRUIT, and the opposite themed phrases could be PEAR, BANANA and APPLE.
In case you are struggling to seek out any phrases referring to the theme, you may try to discover different phrases on the board, which is not going to keep highlighted, however will assist you to to get hints. You will have to seek out three non-theme phrases to get a touch.
Strands 686 Hints Today (January 18th, 2026)
Today’s theme or trace for the puzzle is, “SOFT SKILLS” and there are seven theme phrases to be discovered.
Extra hints that can assist you remedy the Strands puzzle launched at present is:
- Two phrases within the Spangram at present.
- There are seven and three letters within the Spangram phrase at present.
Strands 686 Spangram Reply Today (January 18th, 2026)
With each puzzle, there’s a spangram, which helps describe the theme. The spangram for the puzzle launched on January 18th is:
TEXTILE ART
The phrase begins on the left and ends on the correct aspect of the grid.
The precise location of the Spangram phrase could be seen under:
Strands 686 Resolution Today (1/18/2026)
Listed below are the entire different themed phrases for the Stands 686 puzzle:
- QUILT
- CROCHET
- APPLIQUE
- WEAVE
- KNIT
- EMBROIDERED
Tell us within the feedback under which phrases you bought caught on.