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.

7 October 2025 NYT Strands Theme: “Unusual Companions”

Today’s Strands puzzle slithered, squawked, and scampered into unexpected territory! This one celebrated the world of extraordinary pets — creatures that are far from your average cat or dog but just as loved.

7 October 2025 NYT Strands: Hints

Need a clue before you settle into the answers? Try these hints:

  1. Not Your Everyday Pet: None of these are cats or dogs.
  2. Colorful Company: Some have scales, feathers, or even… a bit of stink.
  3. Cage, Tank, or Terrarium: Think habitats, not kennels.
  4. Exotic Energy: Each of these would turn heads at the vet.
  5. Some Slither, Some Fly: There’s a nice mix of reptiles and talkers.
  6. Soft but Rare: One answer is a fluffy little chinchilla!
  7. Talkative Friend: A feathery pet might just mimic your words.
  8. Spangram: A phrase that perfectly sums them up.

7 October 2025 NYT Strands: Answers

  • AXOLOTL – the smiling amphibian wonder
  • GECKO – small, sticky-footed lizard
  • PARROT – colorful, chatty bird
  • PYTHON – coiled and calm snake companion
  • SKUNK – bold and surprisingly lovable (if tamed!)
  • CHINCHILLA – soft, round, and irresistibly fluffy

Spangram

EXOTIC PET — the perfect phrase tying together this unusual bunch of companions.

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 7’s Strands puzzle was a vibrant menagerie of unexpected friends. It brought together the weird, the wild, and the wonderful — proof that love for pets comes in all shapes and species.

Today’s puzzle reminded us that companionship knows no bounds. With EXOTIC PET as the spangram, it celebrated the beauty of finding joy in the unusual and affection in the unexpected.