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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “On the board”, April 18, 2025

Stuck on the April 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “On the board” puzzle (Strands #105 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 18, 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 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “On the board”. 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 “On the board” puzzle is 10 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 18, 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 April 18, 2025 NYT Strands “On the board” puzzle is GAMEPIECES. 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 April 18, 2025 NYT Strands “On the board” puzzle:

  • BATTLESHIP
  • CHECKER
  • DOMINO
  • KNIGHT
  • TILE
  • TOKEN

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

Answers for the April 18, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "On the board" NYT Strands puzzle

This puzzle's theme, "On the board", contains a subtle twist. Strands puzzles with wordplay themes are designed to misdirect at first glance, then reward you with a satisfying "aha" when the spangram makes everything click. The arts & culture words hidden in the grid all connect to the theme's actual meaning, not the obvious one. Think about alternative interpretations before you start scanning.

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 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 Friday, As puzzle #105 of 509+, this one comes from the middle of the Strands collection, when the puzzle makers had hit their stride.

#105
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
10
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "On the board"

  • This theme contains wordplay — don't take it at face value. Think about alternative meanings and which interpretation the hidden words might support.
  • The long 10-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.
  • Longer words are often easier to find first because they have more distinctive letter sequences. Save short 4-5 letter words for last when the grid is more open.
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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.