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Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #686, January 18

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Need help with Strands #686? Here are some hints and the answers

NYT Strands on a cellphone
(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 #686 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #686.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #686 is... "Soft skills".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "A crafty puzzle."

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

  • QUAIL
  • LINK
  • CROP
  • TRAIT
  • LITTERED
  • REAR
  • BRIE
  • TILE

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 and ends with 'T'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's TEXTILEART.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #686?

Drumroll, please...

  • QUILT
  • CROCHET
  • EMBROIDER
  • WEAVE
  • KNIT
  • APPLIQUE

Stands #686

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was TEXTILEART.

Strands #686

“Soft skills”

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Hi Strands fans. Today's puzzle might have tripped me up, as the theme of "Soft skills" sounds a little vague.

But then I saw the 'QU' in the top-right corner and connected QUILT. The rogue 'X' nearby led me to the spangram of TEXTILEART, and I realized I was looking for craft-related answers.

I found CROCHET spilling into the top-right corner, and then saw EMBROIDER covering the entire bottom of the grid. WEAVE followed above the end of it to complete the lower segment.

That left two answers to find on the other side. I spotted KNIT first, which left APPLIQUE left to connect. Just as well that was last, as it's a word I'm completely unfamiliar with!

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #685.

Strands #685

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • DRAT
  • FIDDLESTICKS
  • CURSES
  • PHOOEY
  • TARNATION

...and the spangram was FOILEDAGAIN.

Strands #685

“That's putting it mildly!”

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Hi Strands fans. A slightly tricky one today, given all the answers are, by design, somewhat old fashioned and archaic.

That meant I needed to use a clue to get started. It revealed DRAT in the bottom-right corner, which put me on the right course, finding FIDDLESTICKS directly above it.

I then found the spangram of FOILEDAGAIN in a reverse-L shape from the bottom-left corner to the top of the grid.

Three answers were left to find. CURSES seemed to go naturally with the spangram, so I found it first directly above. I then spotted PHOOEY above that, which just left TARNATION 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.

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