#761Friday, April 3, 2026
Strands answers for April 3, 2026 — “Smooth(ie) operator” (#761)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for April 3, 2026 (puzzle #761) is TROPICALFRUIT, a 13-letter answer to the theme "Smooth(ie) operator". The 6 theme words are ACAI, GUAVA, LYCHEE, MANGO, PAPAYA and PINEAPPLE.
Where is each answer on the April 3 Strands board?
Strands #761 resolves to these 6 theme words plus the spangram TROPICALFRUIT.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACAI | 4 | row 1, column 1 | row 4, column 1 | top to bottom |
| GUAVA | 5 | row 1, column 5 | row 3, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| LYCHEE | 6 | row 2, column 2 | row 1, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MANGO | 5 | row 6, column 4 | row 7, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| PAPAYA | 6 | row 7, column 2 | row 6, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| PINEAPPLE | 9 | row 3, column 2 | row 4, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| TROPICALFRUIT | 13 | row 5, column 1 | row 4, column 6 | left to right |
What did the April 3 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #761 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 13 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 A-E-E-H-G-A, row 2 reads C-L-Y-C-U-V, row 3 reads A-P-I-N-E-A, row 4 reads I-E-L-P-A-T, row 5 reads T-R-O-P-A-I, row 6 reads A-Y-P-M-N-U, row 7 reads A-P-I-O-G-R, and row 8 reads A-P-C-A-L-F.
How hard was the April 3 Strands puzzle?
Strands #761 scores easy on our difficulty index, harder than 26% 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 3 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #761 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 3 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on April 3, 2026?
The Strands clue for April 3, 2026 is “Smooth(ie) operator”, on puzzle #761. It is answered by the spangram TROPICALFRUIT, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on April 3, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for April 3, 2026 are ACAI, GUAVA, LYCHEE, MANGO, PAPAYA and PINEAPPLE, plus the spangram TROPICALFRUIT.
What was the big word in the April 3, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for April 3, 2026 is TROPICALFRUIT, 13 letters long, running from row 5, column 1 to row 4, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Smooth(ie) operator” mean?
The Strands theme “Smooth(ie) operator” for April 3, 2026 means TROPICALFRUIT — 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 3, 2026?
Strands puzzle #761 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the April 3, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #761 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 26% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on April 3, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, April 3, 2026 is #761, 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 2026, part of the full Strands archive.