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Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #742, March 15

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Need help with Strands #742? 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 #742 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #742.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #742 is... "Best of all".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "And the winner is..."

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

  • GATES
  • ROAD
  • DARES
  • CURES
  • REST
  • WOUNDS
  • WADED
  • CRESS

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 'A' and ends with 'D'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's ACADEMYAWARD.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #742?

Drumroll, please...

  • PICTURE
  • DIRECTOR
  • ACTOR
  • SOUND
  • ACTRESS
  • SONG

Strands #742

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was ACADEMYAWARD.

Strands #742

“Best of all”

🔵🔵🟡🔵

🔵🔵🔵

Hi Strands fans. I'm pretty sure we've had an Oscar-related Strands game before, but there's no reason the topic shouldn't be repeated I guess!

I didn't realize it was Oscars related immediately, of course. While the first word I found was PICTURE in the bottom-left corner, I thought this might be part of "picture perfect" or other expressions that could plausibly relate to the theme of "Best of all".

It was only when I found DIRECTOR at the top of the grid that I realized this was about the ACADEMYAWARDs - the spangram that crossed the board in a vaguely Oscar statue-shaped pattern.

That neatly cordoned off two more short answers: ACTOR to the top left and SOUND on the other side.

Two words were left to find at the bottom of the board. ACTRESS was in the bottom right, meaning I just had to connect SONG to its left to complete the puzzle.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #741.

Strands #741

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • CRUST
  • FILLING
  • GLAZE
  • FRUIT
  • EDGES
  • VENT
  • LATTICE

...and the spangram was HAPPYPIDAY.

Strands #741

“A math teacher's favorite dessert”

🔵🔵🔵🔵

🔵🟡🔵🔵

Hi Strands fans. I was lucky to get through this without clues. I only did because my partner works for a math charity, and had mentioned that Pi Day was this weekend before I started.

As such, I found CRUST along the middle of the board right away, followed by FILLING in the bottom-left corner. I then spotted GLAZE in the top-right corner, with FRUIT to its left. That left EDGES in the top-left corner.

I was then ready to tackle the spangram which, as mentioned, I'd been tipped off to beforehand. Even then it took me a while, but I eventually realized it was HAPPYPIDAY in a loop at the middle of the grid.

VENT was in the middle of the spangram, and that just left LATTICE in 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.