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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Wait what?”, January 12, 2025

Stuck on the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Wait what?” puzzle (Strands #12 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Wait what?”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “Wait what?” puzzle is 9 letters long and starts with the letter M. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 5 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands “Wait what?” puzzle is MINDBLOWN. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 5 theme words for the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands “Wait what?” puzzle:

  • ASTONISH
  • FLABBERGAST
  • GOBSMACK
  • STUN
  • SURPRISE

Plus the spangram MINDBLOWN, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the January 12, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Wait what?" NYT Strands puzzle

"Wait what?" — that's the question this Strands puzzle wants you to answer. Question themes are some of the most satisfying to solve because there's a clear "aha" moment when the spangram clicks into place and the theme words suddenly make sense. This science & technology puzzle uses the question format to challenge you to think laterally about what connects the hidden words scattered across the grid.

This puzzle has 5 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. With 9 letters, the spangram is mid-length — long enough to stand out in the grid but still requiring careful scanning to trace from edge to edge. Originally published on a Sunday, Puzzle #12 is from the early days of the Strands archive — one of the original puzzles that established the game's style.

#12
Puzzle Number
5
Theme Words
9
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Wait what?"

  • The theme is posed as a question — the spangram often provides the direct answer. Try to answer the question yourself first, then search for that word spanning the grid edges.
  • Start by scanning the grid edges for the spangram — it must connect two opposite sides. Once you find it, the theme becomes clear and the remaining words are easier to spot.
  • Every single letter in the grid belongs to exactly one word. If you've found most theme words, the remaining letters must spell out what's left — use process of elimination.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.