Today's Strands Answer: Hints & Solution for January 28, 2026

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might look simple at first glance, but don’t be fooled, as it’s full of sneaky connections and clever twists.

Strands is a daily game that puts your vocabulary, logic, and pattern recognition to the test. Each puzzle gives you a 6x8 grid of seemingly random letters, which hide a set of six words that are connected by a specific theme.

Your job is to find them all, along with the special Spangram, an additional word or phrase, that ties everything back together to the theme.

The game is straightforward in concept, but each day’s theme can range from obvious to cryptic. That's why it doesn't hurt to get a little help from time to time.

Hints for Today's Strands

The theme for today's Strands is "Zen state". It refers to a state of peace and calm in oneself. That said, the words you're looking for today are actions that one does to achieve this state. Meanwhile, the Spangram is a one word, which describes the state of being conscious or aware of something.

The New York Times has rated today's puzzle, number 696, as moderate in difficulty.

Hint Words

Here are a few words that can help contribute to getting a hint:

• Coil
• Dice
• Merl
• Node
• Stub
• Lure
• Tate
• Furl
• Lube
• Mind
• Taste
• Heat
• Tame
• Seat
• Rule
• Trim
• File
• Breath

Pro tip: If you've used a hint to outline a theme word and are unsure what it spells, you can press the hint button again to have the spelling shown to you.

We'll be showing the answers in the next section, so avoid it if you don't want to spoil the puzzle for yourself!

Today's Spangram for Strands

Today's Spangram is Mindfulness. You can find it cutting diagonally across the puzzle from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner.

Today's Theme Words for Strands

Today's theme words for Strands on January 28th are:

• Breathe
• Focus
• Listen
• Meditate
• Mindfulness
• Notice
• Relax

The next Strands puzzle, number 697, will be available at midnight local time.