If you’re visiting this page, you’re likely seeking advice on how to play [Strands](https://www.nytimes.com/games/strands), *The New York Times*’ elegant word-search game.

### How to Play Strands

Strands offers a fresh take on the classic word search. You can create words by linking letters in any direction—up, down, left, right, or diagonally. Additionally, words can shift directions, resulting in intriguing shapes and patterns. Every letter in the grid contributes to a solution.

Each puzzle is centered around a unifying theme, and there is always a unique word or phrase referred to as the “spangram” that embodies the theme and stretches across the grid either horizontally or vertically.

### What Makes Strands Challenging?

Unlike other NYT games such as [Wordle](https://mashable.com/category/wordle) or [Connections](https://mashable.com/category/connections), Strands does not provide a list of words. Instead, it gives a broad clue, making it a more time-consuming and mentally stimulating puzzle.

If you find yourself at an impasse or pressed for time, we have all the clues you require to tackle today’s Strands puzzle at your leisure.

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## Today’s NYT Strands Hints

### Theme Hint: **All decked out**
The words featured in today’s puzzle are **films**.

### Theme Explained
All the words represent **Oscar-winning movies**.

### Spangram Hint
The spangram for this puzzle is **vertical**.

### Spangram Answer
Today’s spangram is **BestPicture**.

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## NYT Strands Word List for March 8

– **CODA**
– **BestPicture**
– **Moonlight**
– **Parasite**
– **Spotlight**
– **Platoon**

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### More Games and Hints

Looking for additional daily puzzles? Visit [Mashable’s Games page](https://mashable.com/category/games) for more tips and challenges. You can also enjoy [Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and much more](https://games.mashable.com/).

Missed yesterday’s Strands puzzle? [Discover the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-march-7-2025).