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If you’ve found your way here, it’s likely that you’re in search of some help with Strands, the innovative word search from the New York Times.
In Strands, players connect letters that are next to each other — whether it’s up, down, sideways, or diagonally — to create words. Unlike standard word searches, words in this game can curve and switch directions, forming distinctive shapes on the board. Every letter in the grid contributes to a solution. Each puzzle has a unifying theme, and there’s a unique “spangram” — a word or phrase that encapsulates the day’s theme and spans the grid either horizontally or vertically.
👉 SEE ALSO:
[Engage in free games like Mahjong, Sudoku, and crosswords on Mashable](https://games.mashable.com/)
Unlike Wordle or Connections, Strands doesn’t provide a list of words, and its clues are intentionally ambiguous, offering a more difficult and time-intensive challenge. If you find yourself pressed for time or at a standstill, no need to fret — we’ve compiled all the hints you need to approach today’s puzzle at your own leisure.
👉 SEE ALSO:
[Wordle today: Hints and answer for April 27](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-april-27-2025)
👉 SEE ALSO:
[NYT Connections hints and answers for April 27](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-april-27-2025)
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## Today’s NYT Strands Hint: Sleep Tight
The theme for today centers on activities you commonly engage in at night.
## What the NYT Strands Theme Means
The words you’re trying to find relate to actions or routines tied to preparing for sleep.
## Is the Spangram Vertical or Horizontal?
Today’s spangram goes horizontally across the grid.
## Today’s NYT Strands Spangram
The spangram for today is: **Bedtime**.
🎥 Featured Video:
**Strands 101: How to excel at NYT’s latest word game**
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## NYT Strands Word List for April 27
Here are the words concealed in today’s puzzle:
– Mouthguard
– Meditation
– Bedtime
– Melatonin
– Mask
– Earplugs
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In search of additional daily puzzles and games?
Visit [Mashable’s Games page](https://mashable.com/category/games) for more hints, or swing by [Mashable Games](https://games.mashable.com/) to enjoy Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and more.
Did you miss a day?
[Here’s the answer to yesterday’s Strands puzzle.](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-april-26-2025)
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