NYT Strands Hints and Answers for January 25, 2026 (#693)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of January 25, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of January 25, 2026? Start with the theme, take one rung at a time, and stop as soon as the grid opens up. Nothing below is revealed until you tap it.
Hints for January 25, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
The straight and narrow
Today’s theme is “The straight and narrow”. All 7 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, C, D, P, P, P, S. Two of them start with the same letter (P).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5 and 6 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 6.
SpangramThe spangram
STICKYSITUATION
It is a single word of 15 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with S, ends with N.
AnswersAll theme words
- CANE4 letters
- POLE4 letters
- POST4 letters
- BATON5 letters
- DOWEL5 letters
- STAKE5 letters
- PICKET6 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.