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Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #775, April 17

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Need help with Strands #775? Here are some hints and the answers

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(Image credit: Tom’s Guide/NY Times/Shutterstock)
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Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? No shame in that, and you've come to the right place. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #775 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #775.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #775 is... "Shell company".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Protected species."

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

  • SOCKS
  • CALM
  • POLLS
  • MUSE
  • SEAL
  • MEAL
  • SLIM
  • RUSSEL
  • STOAT

Still struggling? The spangram touches two opposite sides of the board (but can start and end anywhere), and will give you a hint about the connection between the answers. Today, it starts with 'M' and ends with 'K'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's MOLLUSK.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #775?

Drumroll, please...

  • SCALLOP
  • MUSSEL
  • OYSTER
  • ABALONE
  • CONCH
  • LIMPET
  • CLAM

Strands #775

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was MOLLUSK.

Strands #775

“Shell company”

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Hi Strands fans. An easy one today, though I was let down by my defaulting to British spellings. I saw "mollus..." across the middle of the board right away, but was looking for a 'C' to cap it, rather than the 'K' used in American English.

That didn't stop me for long, mind, as I found SCALLOP in the bottom-left corner, followed by MUSSEL to its right. I then saw OYSTER in the middle perfectly around the letters I'd spotted before. I gave it a second look and connected the spangram of MOLLUSK.

I had four words left to find, starting with ABALONE in the bottom-right corner. I then spotted CONCH in the top-right corner, with LIMPET on the opposite side. That just left CLAM between the two to complete the puzzle.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #774.

Strands #774

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • HOBBY
  • RECREATION
  • PASTIME
  • INTEREST
  • SIDELINE

...and the spangram was JUSTFORFUN.

Strands #774

“This is not working”

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Hi Strands fans. Only six answers to find today, including the spangram. That means long words only, which usually spells trouble, especially when the theme of "This is not working" meant nothing to me.

I was kicking myself after using a clue that revealed HOBBY, however. Of course! Hobbies - the opposite of working!

I was then able to get the spangram of JUSTFORFUN spelt diagonally from the top-left corner and back on itself, and I was away.

RECREATION was the one remaining answer to find in the top half, and I then found PASTIME spelt backwards in the middle of the bottom half.

I'd already connected the word "inter" for my list of clues, but deleted it when I realized it was part of INTEREST. That just left SIDELINE spelt backwards from the bottom-right corner to complete the puzzle.

Alan Martin
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. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.