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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Home is where the hearth is”, January 2, 2026

Stuck on the January 2, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Home is where the hearth is” puzzle (Strands #363 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 2, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the January 2, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “Home is where the hearth is”. 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 “Home is where the hearth is” puzzle is 8 letters long and starts with the letter S. 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 2, 2026 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 2, 2026 NYT Strands “Home is where the hearth is” puzzle is STAYWARM. 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 2, 2026 NYT Strands “Home is where the hearth is” puzzle:

  • BLANKET
  • COCOA
  • CUDDLES
  • FIREPLACE
  • ROBE
  • SLIPPERS

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

Answers for the January 2, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Home is where the hearth is" NYT Strands puzzle

"Home is where the hearth is" — 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 home & family 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.

This puzzle has 6 theme words hidden in the grid — a balanced count that gives you enough to work with without overwhelming the board. With 8 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 Friday, Puzzle #363 is a more recent addition to the 509+ puzzle archive.

#363
Puzzle Number
6
Theme Words
8
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Home is where the hearth is"

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.