NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, November 21 (game #263)

Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

Your Strands expert

Your Strands expert

Marc McLaren

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #1 – today’s theme

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #2 – clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #3 – spangram

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #4 – spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #263) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #263, are…

• POKER
• CHIMNEY
• BROOM
• FLUE
• HEARTH
• SCREEN
• MANTEL
• SPANGRAM: FIREPLACE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This will date me, but does anyone else remember those wonderful Busytown and Lowly Worm books by Richard Scarry? I loved these as kids, poring over the illustrations in search of all of the different named objects and characters. Playing Strands sometimes feels like a similar exercise. “Today’s theme, children, is FIREPLACE. Now name as many words as you can that are related. Yes, CHIMNEY, that’s a good one. Oh well done, you got BROOM!”

That is the point of Strands, I guess, but equally it’s more challenging when the puzzle is a little more creative – for instance when it involves pairs of things, or phrases, or logic in some way. Just naming things is a lot easier, and Strands is not a difficult game at the best…