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Wednesday, April 15, 2026  ·  Your daily stash of puzzle hints. Answers stay hidden until you ask for them.
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Strands · Hints and answers

Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 15, 2026

NYT theme clue: "Gift of the month" · Edited by Tracy Bennett

Wednesday's Strands board has six theme words plus a 10-letter spangram, under the NYT clue "Gift of the month". The ladder below climbs from the theme to the spangram - take one hint at a time.

Hints, in order

Hint 0 of 3

Tap to show one hint at a time.

Hint 1 of 3

The NYT clue is "Gift of the month" - take it literally before you take it sideways. The spangram runs 10 letters and touches opposite sides of the board.

Hint 2 of 3

The six theme words run 4 to 9 letters (lengths: 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9). Every one of them belongs to the family the clue points at.

Hint 3 of 3

The spangram starts with B and ends with E. It is BIRTHSTONE - find it and the rest of the board falls into place.

Spangram and theme words

The spangram first, then all six theme words.

SPANGRAM
BIRTHSTONE
DIAMONDTheme word
GARNETTheme word
OPALTheme word
PERIDOTTheme word
TOPAZTheme word
TURQUOISETheme word
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