Analysis
NYT Strands by the numbers
The New York Times has published 883 Strands puzzles, using 4066 distinct theme words and 866 distinct spangrams. The figures below are computed from the puzzles themselves — every board was solved to confirm the answer paths before anything here was counted.
How many theme words does a Strands puzzle have?
A Strands puzzle carries 6.1 theme words on average, plus the spangram. The full distribution is below; it is tighter than most players assume, which is why counting the remaining answers is a reliable way to judge how much of the grid is left.
| Theme words | Puzzles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 18 | 2.0% |
| 5 | 201 | 22.8% |
| 6 | 386 | 43.7% |
| 7 | 232 | 26.3% |
| 8 | 46 | 5.2% |
Is Strands harder on some days of the week?
Ranking each weekday by the mean difficulty percentile of its puzzles gives the order below. The spread is narrow, which is itself the finding: unlike the crossword, Strands does not ramp up across the week.
| Day | Mean percentile |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 54 |
| Monday | 51 |
| Wednesday | 51 |
| Tuesday | 50 |
| Thursday | 50 |
| Sunday | 47 |
| Friday | 46 |
Difficulty is the computed index described on the difficulty page, not an opinion.
Which words does Strands reuse most?
Of 4066 distinct theme words, most have been used exactly once. The words below are the ones the paper has come back to, with the number of puzzles each has appeared in.
| Word | Puzzles |
|---|---|
| WATER | 10 |
| MUSIC | 8 |
| HEART | 7 |
| LOVE | 7 |
| STAR | 7 |
| CHEESE | 7 |
| PARTY | 7 |
| CHERRY | 7 |
| BACON | 6 |
| QUEEN | 6 |
| FRUIT | 6 |
| BLACK | 6 |
| SCARF | 6 |
| BLUE | 6 |
| PUMPKIN | 5 |
| TOMATO | 5 |
| TIME | 5 |
| COMIC | 5 |
| FEATHER | 5 |
| PICKLE | 5 |
| QUIET | 5 |
| BUTTER | 5 |
| WATCH | 5 |
| STONE | 5 |
Who edits NYT Strands?
Editor credits are published with each puzzle. Across the whole run the breakdown is:
- Tracy Bennett — 897 puzzles
Constructor credits are broken out separately on the editors page.
What are the longest and shortest spangrams?
The longest spangram published is HUNGRYCATERPILLAR (17 letters, August 17, theme “Carle classic”). The shortest is GENRES (6 letters, March 28, theme “Off the shelf”). Every spangram is listed on the spangram index.
How were these figures produced?
Every published puzzle was retrieved, and each board was solved by exact cover — the answers must tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder — so the word paths behind the difficulty figures are verified rather than assumed. All 883 boards solved cleanly. No number on this page is estimated, rounded from a source, or supplied by a third party.