NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #131 (Friday, July 12 2024)

NYT Strands on a cellphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
Strands today: Quick menu

Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? Today's puzzle theme — "Auto suggestion" — is both tricky to decode, and requires some specific knowledge when you do.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #131, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #131, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #131.  

Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #131 is... "Auto suggestion".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Four-wheeled friends".

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

  • ABOUT
  • POKED
  • ROPED
  • SOLE
  • RAGED

Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's CARMODELS.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #131?

Drumroll, please...

  • CHARGER
  • EQUINOX
  • ACCORD
  • EXPLORER
  • SOUL
  • OUTBACK

Strands #131

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was CARMODELS.

Strands #131

“Auto suggestion”

🔵🔵🟡🔵

🔵💡🔵🔵

Hey Strands fans. Today's puzzle actually had me reaching for a clue long after I'd figured out what the theme - "Auto suggestion" - was about. It turns out that I just don't know much about cars, which is always going to be a crutch in a puzzle devoted to CARMODELS.

Indeed, the first words I got on the board were purely by chance, as I spotted CHARGER and EQUINOX in the top section of the board. 

I didn't know what these two words had in common. But with both in place, I was able to find the spangram of CARMODELS spelt from left to right just underneath, which helped me get two I had heard of: CHARGER and EXPLORER.

But the last two were unfamiliar to me, at least at a glance, so I had to use a clue. SOUL was duly revealed, and that made getting the last one - OUTBACK - a doddle. 

A shame I had to use a clue, but them's the breaks when you don't know much about the Strands theme...

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #130 right here.

Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

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