On January 3, 2026, word game enthusiasts across the globe were greeted with a fresh challenge as the New York Times unveiled Strands puzzle #671, themed “I’ve never seen that before!” For those who’ve become accustomed to the daily rituals of Wordle and Connections, Strands has quickly carved out its own space as a must-play brainteaser, blending the best of crossword and word search into one addictive package. Saturday’s puzzle, however, left many scratching their heads and reaching for hints, thanks to its clever theme and a particularly tricky spangram.
According to Lifehacker, the Strands puzzle for January 3 featured a board full of seemingly random letters, all waiting to be connected into words that fit the day’s theme. The challenge? To uncover not just a handful of theme words, but also the elusive spangram—a word or phrase that encapsulates the puzzle’s core idea and stretches across the board, linking two opposite sides. For puzzle #671, that spangram was BREAKNEWGROUND, a phrase that, fittingly, speaks to innovation and originality.
The theme words themselves—INVENTIVE, SEMINAL, ORIGINAL, NOVEL, and FRESH—each echoed the puzzle’s central concept. As Parade explained in their rundown of the day’s puzzle, players were encouraged to think of words that might describe something truly new or groundbreaking. “Not the old stuff,” one of the hints teased, nudging solvers toward words that capture the spirit of discovery and firsts.
For those unfamiliar with Strands, the game is deceptively simple in its mechanics. Each day, players are given a 6x8 grid of letters and a thematic clue. Their task is to find all the hidden words that fit the theme, with each letter used exactly once. The twist comes in the form of the spangram, which, as CNET noted, must stretch from one side of the board to the other, sometimes winding in unexpected directions. Unlike a traditional crossword, words in Strands can travel in any direction—up, down, left, right, or even diagonally. And while there’s only one correct solution, players can’t run out of guesses or time.
Hints are a vital part of the Strands experience. As Lifehacker and CNET both pointed out, players can submit any non-theme word of four letters or more to earn progress toward a hint. Every three such words unlock a clue, revealing the letters of one of the hidden theme words. If a player gets stuck, the game will even show the correct order of the letters for a theme word, making it just a bit easier to connect the dots. However, as one daily Strands player confessed on Tom’s Guide, “The past couple of puzzles have been a bit difficult. I needed four hints to complete today’s Strands puzzle.”
The experience of solving Strands is as much about strategy as it is about vocabulary. Many players, as CNET suggested, start by looking for smaller, non-theme words to rack up hints. Others scan the board for the beginnings of possible theme words, or look for the telltale yellow highlight that signals the spangram. “I see BREAK starting in the upper left corner, so that’s probably the start of the spangram,” one solver recounted on Lifehacker. “There it is: BREAKNEWGROUND.”
Saturday’s puzzle was especially challenging, with the spangram BREAKNEWGROUND snaking from the furthest left B on the top row down to a D in the seventh row, as detailed by both Tom’s Guide and CNET. The five theme words—INVENTIVE, SEMINAL, ORIGINAL, NOVEL, and FRESH—were scattered across the board, each requiring a keen eye and a bit of luck to spot. For some, words like ALIEN or LINE appeared tempting but ultimately didn’t fit the theme, leading to more creative searches and, often, a few more hints used than usual.
But what makes Strands stand out among the growing roster of NYT puzzles? As Parade explained, it’s the combination of daily variety, clever wordplay, and the satisfaction of cracking a tough board. Each puzzle is a one-and-done affair—just like Wordle and Connections, you can only play once a day, with the next challenge unlocking at midnight. And with a new theme each day, ranging from the tactile (“STAYWARM” with answers like BLANKET and SLIPPERS) to the conceptual (“COFFEE” with words like BOLD and AROMATIC), there’s always something fresh to look forward to.
The Strands community is also part of the appeal. Many players share their daily results—blue dots for theme words found, a yellow dot for the spangram, and a lightbulb for hints used—on social media or in comment sections, swapping strategies and celebrating victories. According to Lifehacker, “When you submit guesses, you will either correctly identify an answer, receive credit toward a hint, or the text will shake back and forth, indicating that the word you submitted is too short or not valid.” There’s no penalty for wrong guesses, and the game encourages experimentation and persistence.
For those still on the fence about trying Strands, the rules are straightforward and accessible. As Parade outlined, players drag or tap letters to form words, double-tapping the last letter to submit. Theme words stay highlighted in blue, while the spangram glows yellow when discovered. The board is completely filled by the theme words and spangram, with no overlaps. And if you’re ever stuck, the hint system ensures you’re never more than a few words away from a breakthrough.
Saturday’s puzzle, with its focus on novelty and innovation, seemed to resonate with many. “If you see something new that blows your mind, you might describe it with these words,” Lifehacker mused, capturing the thrill of discovery that Strands aims to deliver. The game’s creators at the New York Times have once again managed to break new ground—pun intended—in the world of daily puzzles, offering players a fresh way to challenge themselves and, perhaps, see language in a new light.
With Strands, every day is a chance to test your wits, expand your vocabulary, and—if you’re lucky—break new ground of your own. For January 3, 2026, those who managed to uncover INVENTIVE, SEMINAL, ORIGINAL, NOVEL, FRESH, and the all-important BREAKNEWGROUND could truly say, “I’ve never seen that before!”
