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.
19 January 2026 NYT Strands Theme: “Shaking things up”
Today’s theme leaned heavily into movement and instability, with words that describe rocking, trembling, or unsteady motion. The puzzle felt energetic, with several closely related verbs that could easily overlap, making careful scanning essential before everything finally clicked into place.
19 January 2026 NYT Strands Hints
- Think about actions that involve motion, vibration, or instability
- Many answers describe subtle or continuous movement rather than sudden action
- Look for verbs often used to describe physical shaking or unsteadiness
- Some words may feel similar in meaning, so pay attention to exact letter paths
- The spangram ties all forms of shaking together under one energetic idea
19 January 2026 NYT Strands Answers
- Sway (gentle back-and-forth movement)
- Tremble (small, rapid shaking)
- Quake (stronger, sudden shaking)
- Waver (unsteady movement or balance)
- Vibrate (rapid oscillation)
- Wobble (irregular side-to-side motion)
- Teeter (nearly losing balance)
Spangram
LETS ROCK
The spangram captures the overall spirit of the puzzle, uniting all the words under the idea of movement, energy, and shaking things loose—both literally and figuratively across the grid.
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
- Start with obvious words. Look for clear connections to the theme first.
- Scan diagonals early. Strands loves to hide words at an angle.
- Build around found words. Once one word is cleared, the leftover letters often point to the next.
- Use hints wisely. Earn them steadily by spotting extra words, then save them for when you’re truly stuck.
- Think about synonyms. The theme clue isn’t always literal — broaden your thinking.
Final thoughts
The 19 January 2026 puzzle landed in the moderate range, with several similar-feeling words that tested attention to detail. The theme was fun and cohesive, and the spangram was especially satisfying to uncover. How many did you find before peeking?
