Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns.

Today's spangram answer on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, is SPRINGTIME. Kate Bartlett, 25, has opened up about a terrifying encounter she had with an intruder who broke into her New York City apartment. The singer's exit caused quite a stir.

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.