#394Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Strands answers for April 1, 2025 — “It's a sign!” (#394)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for April 1, 2025 (puzzle #394) is SPRINGTIME, a 10-letter answer to the theme "It's a sign!". The 6 theme words are BLOSSOMS, BUDS, POLLEN, PUDDLES, ROBINS and SHOWERS.
Where is each answer on the April 1 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #394 is 6 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOSSOMS | 8 | row 4, column 4 | row 1, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| BUDS | 4 | row 6, column 3 | row 5, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| POLLEN | 6 | row 5, column 4 | row 7, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| PUDDLES | 7 | row 2, column 5 | row 5, column 6 | top to bottom |
| ROBINS | 6 | row 3, column 2 | row 3, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SHOWERS | 7 | row 8, column 2 | row 8, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| SPRINGTIME | 10 | row 8, column 5 | row 1, column 4 | bottom to top |
What did the April 1 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #394 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 10 letters6 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads S-S-S-E-U-D, row 2 reads M-O-O-M-P-D, row 3 reads O-R-S-L-I-L, row 4 reads B-I-N-B-T-E, row 5 reads S-D-O-P-G-S, row 6 reads W-U-B-L-N-I, row 7 reads O-E-R-N-L-R, and row 8 reads H-S-S-E-S-P.
How hard was the April 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands #394 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 60% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the April 1 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #394 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the April 1 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on April 1, 2025?
The Strands clue for April 1, 2025 is “It's a sign!”, on puzzle #394. It is answered by the spangram SPRINGTIME, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on April 1, 2025?
The 6 Strands theme words for April 1, 2025 are BLOSSOMS, BUDS, POLLEN, PUDDLES, ROBINS and SHOWERS, plus the spangram SPRINGTIME.
What was the big word in the April 1, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for April 1, 2025 is SPRINGTIME, 10 letters long, running from row 8, column 5 to row 1, column 4. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “It's a sign!” mean?
The Strands theme “It's a sign!” for April 1, 2025 means SPRINGTIME — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands April 1, 2025?
Strands puzzle #394 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the April 1, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #394 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 60% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on April 1, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 is #394, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in April 2025, part of the full Strands archive.