Strands · Hints and answers
Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Tuesday's Strands board has seven theme words plus a 12-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "Sneak-ing around". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.
Hints, in order
Hint 0 of 3Tap to show one hint at a time.
Hint 1 of 3
The NYT clue is "Sneak-ing around" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 12 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.
Hint 2 of 3
The seven theme words run 4 to 8 letters (lengths: 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 8). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.
Hint 3 of 3
The spangram starts with J and ends with S. It is JUSTFORKICKS - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.
Spangram and theme words
The spangram first, then all seven theme words.
SPANGRAM
JUSTFORKICKS
EYELETTheme word
HEELTheme word
LOGOTheme word
SHOELACETheme word
SOLETheme word
TONGUETheme word
VAMPTheme word
Next on the board
NYT Mini Crossword →
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