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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Fore!”, April 16, 2025

Stuck on the April 16, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Fore!” puzzle (Strands #103 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 April 16, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the April 16, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Fore!”. 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 “Fore!” puzzle is 9 letters long and starts with the letter G. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the April 16, 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 April 16, 2025 NYT Strands “Fore!” puzzle is GOLFCLUBS. 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 April 16, 2025 NYT Strands “Fore!” puzzle:

  • CHIPPER
  • DRIVER
  • IRON
  • PUTTER
  • UTILITY
  • WEDGE
  • WOOD

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

Answers for the April 16, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Fore!" NYT Strands puzzle

"Fore!" — the exclamation mark says it all. This Strands puzzle brings energy and emphasis to its theme, and you can expect the hidden words to carry that same spirit. Exclamatory themes in Strands often reference vivid expressions, dramatic moments, or well-known catchphrases. The spangram ties it all together by naming the concept that makes you want to shout this phrase in the first place.

At 7 theme words, this is one of the denser puzzles in the archive. The grid is packed, so words will be closer together. 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 Wednesday, As puzzle #103 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#103
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
9
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "Fore!"

  • The energetic theme title suggests vivid, expressive vocabulary. Look for words that match the theme's bold tone and emotional charge.
  • There are 7 theme words packed into this grid. Try to find 2-3 shorter words first to free up space and make the remaining words easier to trace.
  • Pay attention to uncommon letters (Q, X, Z) or unusual combinations (double letters). These distinctive patterns anchor where specific words must be located on 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.