NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, January 20 (game #688)

Date:
Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Description:
Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Looking for a different day? A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day
for your time zone which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, January 19 (game #687) .

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 NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers. NYT Strands today (game #688) -
hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is Sneak-ing around NYT Strands today (game #688) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system. LAME CASH SLOTH SPOUT TONE LOVE NYT Strands today (game #688) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 12 letters NYT Strands today (game #688) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM. NYT Strands today (game #688) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #688, are HEEL TONGUE VAMP SOLE SHOELACE LOGO EYELET SPANGRAM: JUSTFORKICKS My rating: Easy My score: Perfect

For the second game in a row I spotted the spangram first - although to be completely honest I spotted just first then kept on going to connect JUSTFORKICS ending the mystery of the theme in a second.

Of all the various parts of a sneaker in todays puzzle, VAMP is the one that is new for me and I now know that its the word for the small area between the toe box and the quarter panel which contains the eyelets.

During my sneaker shoe parts research I also learned that the area above the heel notch, and often the section that houses the LOGO, is called a
moustache. For me, this is the area that often rubs when Im breaking in a new pair so now I can tell anyone whos interested that my moustache is rubbing. Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, January 19, game #687) VIBRATE QUAKE WOBBLE SWAY TREMBLE WAVER TEETER SPANGRAM: LETSROCK What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to h ow to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/nyt-strands-today-answers-hi nts-20-january-2026


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