Reference
What is a spangram in Strands?
A spangram is the single answer in every NYT Strands puzzle that names the day’s theme directly and stretches from one edge of the grid to the opposite edge. It is highlighted in yellow rather than the blue used for theme words, and there is exactly one in every puzzle.
What makes a word a spangram rather than a theme word?
Two properties separate a spangram from an ordinary theme word, and a word must have both. First, it must span the board — touching the top and bottom rows, or the leftmost and rightmost columns. Second, it describes the theme itself rather than being an example of it: where a theme word is one member of the category, the spangram is the category.
Does the spangram have to be a single word?
The spangram does not have to be a single word. Multi-word phrases run together are common, which is why spangrams get much longer than theme words do. The longest ever published is HUNGRYCATERPILLAR at 17 letters, from August 17, and the shortest is GENRES at 6.
How long is a typical Strands spangram?
Across all 897 published puzzles the commonest spangram length is 10 letters, used in 163 puzzles. The full distribution is below — useful because knowing the likely length narrows the search before you have found a single letter.
| Letters | Puzzles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 59 | 6.6% |
| 7 | 67 | 7.5% |
| 8 | 122 | 13.6% |
| 9 | 136 | 15.2% |
| 10 | 163 | 18.2% |
| 11 | 122 | 13.6% |
| 12 | 85 | 9.5% |
| 13 | 72 | 8.0% |
| 14 | 39 | 4.3% |
| 15 | 22 | 2.5% |
| 16 | 8 | 0.9% |
| 17 | 2 | 0.2% |
Why should you find the spangram first?
Finding the spangram first pays twice. It converts a vague theme clue into a plain statement of what the answers are about, and because it crosses the whole board it cuts the remaining letters into two smaller regions that can be searched independently. On a grid of only 48 letters, halving the search space is the largest single saving available.
Where does the spangram usually start?
A spangram must touch two opposite edges, but it does not have to start in a corner or run in a straight line — most bend several times on the way across. This site publishes the verified start square, end square and direction of the spangram for every puzzle, taken from a full solve of the grid rather than estimated by eye. Today’s is on the front page.
Which recent puzzles had the longest spangrams?
The eight most recent puzzles with a spangram of twelve letters or more are listed below, each linking to its answers.
Every spangram ever used is listed on the spangram index.
Questions about spangrams
What is the spangram in Strands?
The spangram is the one word or phrase in a Strands puzzle that touches two opposite sides of the board and names the theme outright. Every Strands puzzle has exactly one, and it is highlighted in a different colour from the theme words when found.
How do you identify a spangram?
A spangram is identified by where it runs, not by what it means: it spans the grid from one edge to the opposite edge, so it is longer than most theme words and starts or ends on a border cell. It is also the only word that describes the theme rather than being an example of it.
How does spangram work?
Finding the spangram reveals the theme, because the spangram states what every other theme word has in common. It uses board letters exactly like any theme word — no letter is reused, and it can bend in any direction including diagonals.
What is the purpose of a spangram?
The spangram exists to make the theme solvable: it converts a vague clue into a stated answer, which is why finding it first usually unlocks the rest of the board.
What is the golden word in Strands today?
The golden word is the spangram — it is called that because it lights up in yellow rather than the blue used for ordinary theme words. Every Strands puzzle has exactly one, and today's is named on the front page along with its length and board position.