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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Sneak-ing around”, January 20, 2026

Stuck on the January 20, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Sneak-ing around” puzzle (Strands #381 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 20, 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 20, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “Sneak-ing around”. 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 “Sneak-ing around” puzzle is 12 letters long and starts with the letter J. 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 20, 2026 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 20, 2026 NYT Strands “Sneak-ing around” puzzle is JUSTFORKICKS. 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 20, 2026 NYT Strands “Sneak-ing around” puzzle:

  • EYELET
  • HEEL
  • LOGO
  • SHOELACE
  • SOLE
  • TONGUE
  • VAMP

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

Answers for the January 20, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Sneak-ing around" NYT Strands puzzle

This puzzle is themed "Sneak-ing around", a descriptive phrase that captures the essence of what you're searching for. In Strands, descriptive themes give you a broad direction without being too specific — the fun is in discovering exactly which general words the puzzle maker chose to represent the idea. The spangram will name the core concept, and the theme words are its supporting cast.

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 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 Tuesday, Puzzle #381 is a more recent addition to the 509+ puzzle archive.

#381
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
12
Spangram Letters
Challenging
Difficulty

How to approach "Sneak-ing around"

  • 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.