Listed here are the solutions for the NYT Strands puzzle #696 as we speak, launched on January twenty eighth, 2026, and a few hints that will help you remedy them.
The New York Occasions are identified for the wide selection of video games they publish for readers to finish on the every day. That they had additionally revealed 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 presently in beta. On this recreation, there’s a theme of phrases on a board and that you must discover the theme associated phrases.
Upon getting discovered a theme associated phrase, it’s going to keep stuffed in blue and to create these phrases, you have to to tug 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 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.
Upon getting discovered the spangram phrase, it’s going to keep highlighted in yellow.
An instance of a spangram is FRUIT, and the opposite themed phrases could 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 won’t keep highlighted, however will assist you to get hints. You’ll need to search out three non-theme phrases to get a touch.
Strands 696 Hints Today (January twenty eighth, 2026)
Today’s theme or trace for the puzzle is, “ZEN STATE” and there are seven theme phrases to be discovered.

Extra hints that will help you remedy the Strands puzzle launched as we speak is:
- One phrase within the Spangram as we speak.
- There are eleven letters within the Spangram phrases as we speak.
Strands 696 Spangram Reply Today (January twenty eighth, 2026)
With each puzzle, there’s a spangram, which helps describe the theme. The spangram for the puzzle launched on January twenty eighth is:
MINDFULNESS
The phrase begins within the prime left nook and ends on the appropriate facet of the grid.
The precise location of the Spangram phrase might be seen beneath:

Strands 695 Resolution Today (1/27/2026)
Listed here are the entire different themed phrases for the Stands 695 puzzle:
- RELAX
- LISTEN
- BREATHE
- FOCUS
- MEDITATE
- NOTICE

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