Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with NYT Strands Word Puzzle Hints

NEW YORK, March 17, 2025 — As Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day, many are turning to the New York Times‘ latest word game, Strands, to add a fun twist to their festivities. Today’s theme, ‘Sound Switching,’ challenges players to find words on a grid that fit the given hints, including the notable spangram, SPOONERISMS.

This popular puzzle debuted recently in the NYT Games collection, building on the success of other games like Wordle and Spelling Bee. Strands requires players to trace out words from a daily theme, such as today’s focus on humorous verbal errors where sounds in phrases are swapped, enhancing the challenge of the game.

“To mark today’s occasion, we offer players an added hint technique,” noted a game contributor. “Instead of the usual two-letter hints, we’re providing three hints to aid players in solving today’s puzzle.” The hints included are: ‘Crushing blow,’ ‘Wedding bells,’ and ‘Chicken strips.’

The spangram for today, which spans two edges of the game board, is the term SPOONERISMS, defined as the humorous mixing of the starting sounds or letters of two words in a phrase. Common examples include ‘Crushing blow’ becoming ‘Blushing crow’ and ‘Wedding bells’ morphing into ‘Bedding wells.’

For those interested in decoding the game, the full list of words includes BLUSHING, CROW, BEDDING, WELLS, STRICKEN, and CHIPS. These words connect cleverly through their respective hints, making the puzzle not just a test of word recognition but also one of problem-solving within a thematic context.

Players experiencing difficulty with today’s Strands puzzle found solace in the humor of spoonerisms and the lesson on language that it inadvertently taught. “I realized I was getting more confused by the terms than I was entertained,” said one participant. “But learning about spoonerisms was a nice bonus.”

To join in the fun, players can access the daily Strands puzzle at the New York Times website or through its mobile app. With no time limit and the flexibility to make guesses, players are encouraged to explore the board and engage with both the complex wordplay and the underlying theme.

Enjoy solving today’s Strands and have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!