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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Show of hands”, January 29, 2025

Stuck on the January 29, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Show of hands” puzzle (Strands #29 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 29, 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 29, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Show of hands”. 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 “Show of hands” puzzle is 12 letters long and starts with the letter P. 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 29, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 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 29, 2025 NYT Strands “Show of hands” puzzle is PUPPETMASTER. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 6 theme words for the January 29, 2025 NYT Strands “Show of hands” puzzle:

  • FINGER
  • GLOVE
  • MARIONETTE
  • SHADOW
  • SOCK
  • STICK

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

Answers for the January 29, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Show of hands" NYT Strands puzzle

This Strands puzzle leads with "Show of hands" — a direct, action-oriented theme that narrows down what you're looking for. Imperative themes are helpful because they frame the puzzle around a concrete idea rather than an abstract play on words. Expect the movies & tv theme words to relate closely to the literal meaning of the phrase, with the spangram tying them together.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. The 12-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 Wednesday, Puzzle #29 is from the early days of the Strands archive — one of the original puzzles that established the game's style.

#29
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
12
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "Show of hands"

  • The theme reads as a direct instruction. Take it literally as your starting strategy — what words would you associate with following this command?
  • The long 12-letter spangram is your best starting point. Scan the edges of the grid — the spangram must start on one side and end on the opposite side.
  • Try reading the grid edges clockwise. The spangram's first and last letters will be on opposite edges, and edge letters are the fastest way to identify spangram candidates.
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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.