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Marc McLaren

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, August 11 (game #161)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background.

Today's Strands puzzle from the NYT is a tough one – or at least that was my experience. You may well disagree, but if not there are hints below.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Home stretch?

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • MOOT
  • TOME
  • RUNS
  • SANDY
  • OVER
  • PAINT

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Outdoor living

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #161) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #161, are…

  • DECK
  • PATIO
  • VERANDA
  • BALCONY
  • SUNROOM
  • TERRACE
  • SPANGRAM: BONUSSPACES

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 4 hints

I really, really struggled with today's Strands. I struggled to get started, and needed a hint to find the first word. That was DECK, and I struggled then to see the relationship to the theme clue, 'Home stretch?', and so needed another hint. That gave me PATIO, at which point I realized what I needed to do. However, I then struggled to think of – or find – any other words. Eventually I needed hints for BALCONY and SUNROOM, and by that stage there were very few words that could still be formed, so I did manage to find the others. Even so, the spangram, BONUSSPACES, still took me an age to uncover. Not a good day.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 10 August, game #160)

  • HOCKEY
  • CONTROL
  • LICORICE
  • MEMORY
  • SWIZZLE
  • CINNAMON
  • SPANGRAM: STICKS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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