NYT Strands today – my tips and answers for April 16 (#774)

Strands is the latest pun from The New York Times after Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s a lot of fun. It can be difficult, though, so keep reading my Strands tips.

SPOILER WARNING: The information on NYT Strands today is below, so don’t continue reading if you don’t want to know the answers.

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NYT Strands today (game #774) – clue #1 – theme of the day

NYT Strands today (game #774) – clue #2 – clue words

Play one of these words to unlock the game’s hint system.

• NEST
• RAW
• PURE
• SLEEPED
• BOYFRIEND
• LICENSEE

NYT Strands today (game #774) – clue #3 – spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #774) – clue #4 – spangram position

That’s right, the answers are below, so DON’T SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #774) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #774, are…

• HOBBY
• RECREATION
• SIDELINE
• INTEREST
• ENTERTAINMENT
• SPANGRAM: JUSTFORFUN

• My rating: Hard
• My rating: 1 clue

I completely mistook today’s theme and took “it doesn’t work” literally when I was looking for words related to broken things.

Fortunately, my unsuccessful search also included many non-gaming words and a hint of HOBBY set me on the path to discovering other words associated with free time activities, including HOBBIES – which was so long I was convinced it would turn yellow and become spangram.

Instead, today’s yellow snake was JUSTFORFUN, and maybe that’s where I’m going wrong with my hobbies, because all of them—riding bikes, doing puzzles, and watching soccer—involve more pain than pleasure.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands Answers (Wednesday, April 15, Match #773)

• TOPAZ
• TURQUOISE
• OPAL
• GARNET
• DIAMOND
• PERIDOT
• SPANGRAM: BIRTHSTONE

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Previously known as Pop Detective, his journalistic career began by making up stories about Madonna’s addiction to sausage rolls (not true, by the way). A man of little talent, his career is rich and varied and includes interviews with Elton John and Blur; and the downside of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing in a Channel 5 documentary on Peter Kay and fact-checking a German cook’s instruction manual. Somehow, still having the means to live in north London, he is happiest riding his bike and shouting at pigeons.