In search of most recent Response from the strands? Click here for our daily Strands cheats, as well as our daily answers and tips for the New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is fun for birders. Some answers are a little difficult to decipher, so if you need clues and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules of Strands in this story.
If you are looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle tips page.
Learn more: NYT Connections Celebrates Its First Anniversary: These Are the 5 Hardest Puzzles Yet
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Bring binoculars.
If that doesn’t help, here’s a hint: fly south for the winter.
Clue words to unlock clues in the game
Your goal is to find hidden words that match the theme of the puzzle. If you’re stuck, find all the words you can. Every time you find three words of four or more letters, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. Here are the words I used to get these clues, but any words of four letters or more that you find will work:
- RUSH, HOOT, STAR, RATS, ROT, FALL, BIG, NOTE, GRIME, GRIM, THUMB, WALL, HUSH, ARM, BRASH, RASH
Answers to today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that are related to the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a themed word that extends from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have them all (initially I thought there were always eight, but I learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the non-spangram responses:
- DUCK, finch, hawk, goose, wren, thrush, warbler
Today’s Strands spangram
The NYT Strands puzzle completed by October 13, 2025.
Today’s Strands spangram is CASE MIGRATION. To find it, look for the F which is the last letter on the right in the top row, and work your way back and down.
The most difficult strand puzzles
Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found most difficult in recent weeks.
#1: Slang dated January 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. The hardest word: PHAT.
#2: Let her blow! January 15. I guess marine biologists could pull this one off. The hardest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.
#3: Unhooked, January 9. Similar to the January 15 puzzle in that it allows you to learn a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Hardest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.
