If you’re hooked on the daily NYT Strands puzzle, you’re in for another treat. This fresh word game challenges your vocabulary and pattern recognition with clever themes each day.

Theme: “It’s Not Polite to Lick Your Plate.”

Today’s Strands is a delicious little tribute to everything tasty. The theme leans into flavors, mouthfeel, and the little adjective boosts we give to food when we want to make someone crave it. Expect words that describe food that makes you linger over the last bite (and maybe regret not having a napkin handy).

Hints for Today’s Strands

  • Think adjectives you’d use after the first bite of something truly memorable.
  • Some are formal, some are conversational—mix of tones.
  • Use them to praise a meal or to flatter a chef.
  • They’re all synonyms—closely related but with different flavor notes.
  • Picture a restaurant review or a food blog caption for clues.
  • The spangram is the polite summary you’d give after the last forkful.

Today’s Strands Answers

  • DELICIOUS — irresistibly good to eat
  • FLAVORFUL — rich in taste and character
  • SCRUMPTIOUS — irresistibly tasty and satisfying
  • DELECTABLE — elegant and pleasing to the palate

Spangram

GOOD TASTE — the neat, polite phrase that wraps up the theme: both a compliment to the food and a nod to refined judgment.

Solving Tips

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

November 1’s Strands was a small celebration of appetites and appreciation. It’s the kind of puzzle that makes you imagine a table full of warm plates and good company—then gives you words to describe exactly how wonderful it tasted. If you solved it, treat yourself to something nice (napkin optional).