#691Friday, January 23, 2026
Strands answers for January 23, 2026 — “None the wiser” (#691)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for January 23, 2026 (puzzle #691) is BORNYESTERDAY, a 13-letter answer to the theme "None the wiser". The 5 theme words are ARTLESS, CALLOW, CREDULOUS, GULLIBLE and NAIVE.
Where is each answer on the January 23 Strands board?
Strands #691 resolves to these 5 theme words plus the spangram BORNYESTERDAY.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARTLESS | 7 | row 6, column 2 | row 5, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| CALLOW | 6 | row 5, column 5 | row 4, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| CREDULOUS | 9 | row 5, column 2 | row 1, column 2 | bottom to top |
| GULLIBLE | 8 | row 6, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| NAIVE | 5 | row 2, column 5 | row 3, column 5 | diagonally across the grid |
| BORNYESTERDAY | 13 | row 8, column 3 | row 5, column 4 | bottom to top |
What did the January 23 Strands grid look like?
The grid below is six letters wide and eight rows deep, with every answer traced through the letters it uses.
Spangram — 13 letters5 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 U-S-T-E-A-I, row 2 reads L-O-S-R-N-V, row 3 reads D-U-E-D-E-O, row 4 reads R-E-Y-A-W-L, row 5 reads S-C-N-Y-C-L, row 6 reads S-A-R-G-B-A, row 7 reads E-R-O-U-I-L, and row 8 reads L-T-B-L-L-E.
How hard was the January 23 Strands puzzle?
Strands #691 scores easy on our difficulty index, harder than 21% 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 January 23 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #691 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the January 23 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on January 23, 2026?
The Strands clue for January 23, 2026 is “None the wiser”, on puzzle #691. It is answered by the spangram BORNYESTERDAY, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on January 23, 2026?
The 5 Strands theme words for January 23, 2026 are ARTLESS, CALLOW, CREDULOUS, GULLIBLE and NAIVE, plus the spangram BORNYESTERDAY.
What was the big word in the January 23, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for January 23, 2026 is BORNYESTERDAY, 13 letters long, running from row 8, column 3 to row 5, 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 “None the wiser” mean?
The Strands theme “None the wiser” for January 23, 2026 means BORNYESTERDAY — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands January 23, 2026?
Strands puzzle #691 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the January 23, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #691 rates easy on a computed index, harder than 21% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on January 23, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, January 23, 2026 is #691, 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 January 2026, part of the full Strands archive.