If you’re hooked on the daily NYT Strands puzzle, you’re not alone. It’s a fresh word game from the New York Times that combines elements of a word search with clever, theme-based twists.

13 October 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Bring binoculars”

13 October 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Feathered Friends: Every answer is a bird you might see on a fall morning.
  • Tiny to Mighty: Expect everything from small songbirds to larger hunters and flyers.
  • Song & Shape: Some are prized for voice, others for silhouette in flight.
  • Short Names First: A few answers are compact and easy to spot.
  • Water and Woodland: Think ponds, hedgerows, and migrating flocks.
  • Seasonal Clue: These birds are often moving south around this time.
  • Mix of Types: You’ll find songbirds, waterfowl, and a raptor.
  • Spangram: Two words that capture the whole migration spectacle.

13 October 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • FINCH – small, seed-eating songbird
  • HAWK – the soaring raptor on the lookout
  • GOOSE – large migratory waterfowl in V-formations
  • WREN – tiny, energetic songbird with a big voice
  • THRUSH – melodic singer, often seen in shrubs
  • WARBLER – flitting, colorful insect-eater
  • DUCK – common waterfowl found on ponds and lakes

How Strands works

Strands is a daily word search puzzle with a twist:

  • You’re given a theme.
  • The grid is packed with hidden words tied to that theme.
  • Words can run in any direction, including diagonals.
  • Once you find all the theme words, you’re done!

Spangram

FALL MIGRATION — the phrase that threads the grid together, evoking V-formations, flocks, and the seasonal passage.

How to get and use hints

Hints are built right into Strands, and they’re super useful if you’re stuck:

  • To earn a hint, find any non-theme word of at least four letters in the grid.
  • Each valid extra word gives you one hint.
  • When you use a hint, one of the theme words will be revealed automatically, helping you move forward.

Pro tip: Don’t just burn hints — use them strategically when the grid feels impossible. Sometimes a single revealed word unlocks the entire board.

Tips to become a NYT Strands pro

  1. Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
  2. Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
  3. Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
  4. Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
  5. Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.

Final Thoughts

Today’s Strands felt like a brisk morning walk with binoculars slung over your shoulder: patient, attentive, and rewarded by small, bright discoveries. The spangram FALL MIGRATION ties it up nicely — a reminder that some puzzles, like the seasons, are best appreciated when you look up.