NYT Strands Hints and Answers for March 21, 2026 (#748)
Spoiler-safe hints for the NYT Strands puzzle of March 21, 2026: the theme clue first, then first letters, word lengths, the spangram, and the full grid.
Stuck on the Strands puzzle of March 21, 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 March 21, 2026, one rung at a time
ThemeToday’s theme
Sniff sniff
Today’s theme is “Sniff sniff”. All 6 theme words fit that idea — and the spangram names it outright.
Hint 1A gentle clue
The 6 answers belong to one everyday scene. Picture the scene first, then look for its pieces on the board. The spangram runs down the grid, top edge to bottom, so look for a long vertical path first.
Hint 2First letters
Sorted alphabetically, the first letters are B, H, M, P, S, S. Two of them start with the same letter (S).
Hint 3Word lengths
The theme words are 4, 5, 6, 6, 9 and 9 letters long. The shortest is 4 letters, the longest 9.
SpangramThe spangram
ONTHENOSE
It is a single word of 9 letters and it touches two opposite sides of the board.
Starts with O, ends with E.
AnswersAll theme words
- BEAK4 letters
- SNOUT5 letters
- HONKER6 letters
- MUZZLE6 letters
- PROBOSCIS9 letters
- SCHNOZZLE9 letters
BoardThe completed grid
Theme wordSpangramEach line follows one word; the small number is that letter’s place in it.