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.

23 October 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Please don't eat me!”

Today’s Strands puzzle was a floral trap — a stunning lineup of plants that may look harmless but are dangerously toxic. The theme, “Please Don’t Eat Me!”, served as both a warning and a witty hint toward the poisonous nature of the answers.

23 October 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

  • Beautiful but Deadly: These aren’t flowers for your salad bowl.
  • Old Wives’ Warnings: Many of these plants have long histories in myths and medicine.
  • Don’t Touch That Petal: Some are toxic even by contact.
  • Garden of Danger: The theme name says it all — resist the temptation to taste.
  • Spangram: A single word that sums up this lethal bouquet.

23 October 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • AZALEA – A garden favorite, but its leaves can be fatal if eaten.
  • HEMLOCK – Infamously the plant that ended Socrates’ life.
  • FOXGLOVE – Beautiful bell-shaped flowers hiding a deadly heart medicine compound.
  • OLEANDER – Stunning and fragrant, yet poisonous from root to petal.
  • BELLADONNA – Also called deadly nightshade, once used in cosmetics — dangerously so.

Spangram

POISONOUS — the perfect word tying together these deceptive yet deadly plants.

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!

Each puzzle usually has around 6–8 theme words.

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

October 23’s Strands reminded us to look twice at beauty — not everything that blooms is safe. A perfect blend of botany, danger, and wordplay. It was a mix of beauty and danger — showing how nature’s prettiest faces often hide the deadliest secrets. A poetic and slightly dark theme that felt both elegant and eerie.