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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “You don't say ...”, January 21, 2025

Stuck on the January 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “You don't say ...” puzzle (Strands #21 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 21, 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “You don't say ...”. 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 “You don't say ...” puzzle is 10 letters long and starts with the letter D. 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 7 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 21, 2025 NYT Strands “You don't say ...” puzzle is DATEDSLANG. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 7 theme words for the January 21, 2025 NYT Strands “You don't say ...” puzzle:

  • BOSS
  • CHERRY
  • FRESH
  • MAJOR
  • PHAT
  • RADICAL
  • TUBULAR

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

Answers for the January 21, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "You don't say ..." NYT Strands puzzle

"You don't say ..." — a theme that invites you to explore a specific concept through the lens of this Strands puzzle. The phrase describes a mood, setting, or idea, and every theme word hidden in the 6×8 grid belongs to that same world. This wordplay & language puzzle uses its descriptive title to guide your intuition. Start by brainstorming words that come to mind when you read the theme, then look for them on the board.

At 7 theme words, this is one of the denser puzzles in the archive. The grid is packed, so words will be closer together. The 10-letter spangram is notably long, consuming a good chunk of the grid's 48 letters. Its size makes it easier to find if you focus on the grid's edges. Originally published on a Tuesday, Puzzle #21 is from the early days of the Strands archive — one of the original puzzles that established the game's style.

#21
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
10
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "You don't say ..."

  • The theme paints a picture. Brainstorm 5-10 words that come to mind when you read it, then scan the grid for those words or close variants.
  • With 7 theme words and a long spangram, nearly every letter in the grid belongs to a word. Start with the spangram — it uses many letters and opens up the board significantly.
  • Theme words can bend and curve in any direction, including diagonals. They don't follow straight lines like a traditional word search — trace paths that zigzag across the grid.
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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.