NYT Strands Today: ‘Beatlemania!’ Theme, Hints, and Answers for Game #274

For the December 2, 2024, edition of the New York Times‘ word game Strands, the theme is a nostalgic and musical one: “Beatlemania!” This theme is centered around one-word song titles from the iconic British band, The Beatles.

The game, now fully integrated into the NYT’s official Games app after moving out of beta, challenges players to find hidden words within a grid. The theme words for today’s puzzle are all related to The Beatles’ discography. Key words to look out for include “HELP,” “TAXMAN,” “BLACKBIRD,” “YESTERDAY,” and “REVOLUTION.”

To assist players, the game provides a spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle. For game #274, the spangram is “SONGTITLES,” which encapsulates the essence of the theme. This spangram starts with the letter ‘S’ three letters to the right and three letters up from the bottom row and winds around the grid.

Players can use various hint words to unlock in-game hints. These hint words, such as “RILE,” “BILE,” “TILE,” and others, help reveal the theme words when three or more are found. The game rewards players by highlighting the theme words’ letters in order, making it easier to solve the puzzle.

The “Beatlemania!” theme is expected to be relatively easy for fans of The Beatles, given the well-known nature of the band’s songs. However, the puzzle still requires careful observation and word-finding skills to complete successfully.