If you’ve arrived here, it’s likely that you are in search of advice on how to play [**Strands**](https://www.nytimes.com/games/strands), *The New York Times*’ elegant word-search challenge.
**Strands** brings a fresh perspective to the classic word search. Players can create words by connecting letters in any direction—up, down, left, right, or diagonally. However, there’s an intriguing twist: words may change direction, resulting in playful and surprising shapes. Each letter in the grid contributes to a solution, and all the answers share a common theme. Moreover, every puzzle includes a “spangram,” which is a specific word or phrase that represents the day’s theme and fills the entire grid, either horizontally or vertically.
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### **SEE ALSO:**
[**Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable**](https://games.mashable.com/)
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In contrast to other NYT games like [**Wordle**](https://mashable.com/category/wordle) or [**Connections**](https://mashable.com/category/connections), **Strands** presents players with a more cryptic hint system and lacks a word list, making it a puzzler that demands additional thought to untangle. If you find yourself stumped or if you can’t spare 10+ minutes on today’s challenge, we have got all the clues you need to advance at your own speed.
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### **SEE ALSO:**
[**Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 15**](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-january-15-2025)
[**NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 15**](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-15-2025)
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## **Today’s NYT Strands Theme Hint: Thar She Blows!**
The words in today’s challenge are names or categories of marine mammals.
### **Theme Explained**
Consider the marine mammal that might be observed when someone shouts, “Thar she blows!”
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## **Spangram Hint: Horizontal or Vertical?**
Today’s spangram is arranged horizontally.
### **Spangram Answer**
For today, the spangram is **Whales**.
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## **NYT Strands Word List for January 15**
Here is the complete list of words you need for today’s challenge:
– **Gray**
– **Humpback**
– **Blue**
– **Orca**
– **Beluga**
– **Baleen**
– **Right**
– **Sperm**
– **Whales**
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### **Featured Video For You**
**Strands 101: How to Win NYT’s Latest Word Game**
*(Video content available on Mashable)*
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### **Looking for More Games?**
Visit [**Mashable’s Games page**](https://mashable.com/category/games) for additional daily puzzles and tips. From Mahjong to Sudoku and free crosswords, we have you covered.
If you’re interested in yesterday’s **Strands** puzzle, [**here’s the solution for January 14**](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-14-2025).
Ready for even more puzzles? Head over to our [**games hub**](https://games.mashable.com/) for limitless enjoyment!