NYT Strands hints, answers for January 22

Every hint, nudge and outright answer you need to complete today's NYT Strands puzzle.
By  on 
A game being played on a smartphone.
Credit: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Pixar this

These words are cartoon films.

Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are all made by the production company Pixar.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Animation.

NYT Strands word list for January 22

  • Brave

  • Ratatouille

  • Elemental

  • Cars

  • Onward

  • Soul

  • Animation

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Topics Strands


Recommended For You
NYT Strands hints, answers for January 1
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for January 2
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for January 3
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for January 4
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Strands hints, answers for January 5
A game being played on a smartphone.

More in Entertainment

10+ self-emptying robot vacuums on sale during Amazon's Spring Sale
White Roborock robot vacuum arranged on pink and orange backdrop

The best Roomba deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale
Roomba with green shadow arranged on pink, purple, and blue backdrop

Find the best deals on cinch-waist jeans in Amazon's Big Spring Sale
levi's logo against a purple and pink patterned background

Target Circle Week is live: Shop all the best deals right here
white target logo against pink and orange background

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 28, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 28, 2025
Wordle game on a smartphone

Elon Musk makes request to Reddit CEO to take down posts he didn't like
Elon Musk

NYT Strands hints, answers for March 28
A game being played on a smartphone.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 28
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!