Today's NYT Strands hints and answer: solutions to game #741, March 14

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 #741 as well as the answers, should it come to that.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #741.

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

The official theme for NYT Strands #741 is... "A math teacher's favorite dessert".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "3.141592."

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

  • FURS
  • STATE
  • PATH
  • GIVEN
  • FLING
  • SUIT
  • HALT

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 'H' and ends with 'Y'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...


It's HAPPYPIDAY.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #741?

Drumroll, please...

  • CRUST
  • FILLING
  • GLAZE
  • FRUIT
  • EDGES
  • VENT
  • LATTICE

Strands #741

(Image credit: Alan Martin)

...and the spangram was HAPPYPIDAY.

Strands #741

“A math teacher's favorite dessert”

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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.

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Strands answers for game #740.

Strands #740

(Image credit: Alan Martin)
  • GUITAR
  • BANJO
  • FIDDLE
  • HARMONICA
  • MANDOLIN

...and the spangram was BLUEGRASSMUSIC.

Strands #740

“Mountain band”

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Hi Strands fans. After being initially a bit confused by today's puzzle, I eventually got through without using any clues.

I could see the word "music" in the middle of the grid, but wasn't sure how to land it as part of the spangram, so went searching for other words.

Eventually I found GUITAR in the bottom-right corner, which set me off hunting for instruments. Sure enough, I then saw BANJO in the top-left corner, which revealed a possible route to "music".

Working backwards, I was able to connect BLUEGRASSMUSIC in a loop from the bottom of the grid to the top and back again. Hidden in the middle of this spangram was FIDDLE.

Two answers were left to find, both isolated in their own segments. HARMONICA was on the right-hand side, with MANDOLIN in the bottom-left corner to complete the puzzle.

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.