Listed below are the solutions for the NYT Strands puzzle #688 at present, launched on January twentieth, 2026, and a few hints that can assist you remedy them.
The New York Occasions are recognized for the wide selection of video games they publish for readers to finish on the each day. That they had additionally printed the viral phrase recreation, Wordle, in 2022, so as to add to their assortment.
A brand new recreation has been launched by the paper, known as Strands, which is at the moment in beta. On this recreation, there’s a theme of phrases on a board and you have to discover the theme associated phrases.
Upon getting discovered a theme associated phrase, it should keep crammed in blue and to create these phrases, you will have to pull or sort the letters. The entire letters on the board are used to make up phrases for the theme and the letters don’t overlap into different phrases.

There’s additionally a “spangram” which is a phrase on the board that describes the theme of the puzzle for the day. It’ll contact two reverse sides of the board and could also be two phrases.
Upon getting discovered the spangram phrase, it should keep highlighted in yellow.
An instance of a spangram is FRUIT, and the opposite themed phrases can be PEAR, BANANA and APPLE.

If you’re struggling to search out any phrases referring to the theme, you’ll be able to try to discover different phrases on the board, which is not going to keep highlighted, however will make it easier to to get hints. You will want to search out three non-theme phrases to get a touch.
Strands 688 Hints Today (January twentieth, 2026)
Today’s theme or trace for the puzzle is, “SNEAK-ING AROUND” and there are eight theme phrases to be discovered.

Extra hints that can assist you remedy the Strands puzzle launched at present is:
- Three phrases within the Spangram at present.
- There are 4, three and 5 letters within the Spangram phrases at present.
- Trainers/sneakers.
Strands 688 Spangram Reply Today (January twentieth, 2026)
With each puzzle, there’s a spangram, which helps describe the theme. The spangram for the puzzle launched on January twentieth is:
JUST FOR KICKS
The phrase begins within the high left nook and ends on the backside of the grid.
The precise location of the Spangram phrase will be seen beneath:

Strands 688 Answer Today (1/20/2026)
Listed below are the entire different themed phrases for the Stands 688 puzzle:
- EYELET
- SHOELACE
- LOGO
- CAMP
- TONGUE
- SOLE
- HEEL

Tell us within the feedback beneath which phrases you bought caught on.
