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Stuck on the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Wet blankets” puzzle (Strands #480 of 480 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.
The theme for the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle is “Wet blankets”. 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.
The spangram for the “Wet blankets” puzzle is 12 letters long and starts with the letter C. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.
Besides the spangram, the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle has 6 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.
The spangram for the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands “Wet blankets” puzzle is CONDENSATION. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.
Here are the 6 theme words for the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands “Wet blankets” puzzle:
Plus the spangram CONDENSATION, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.
Answers for the April 30, 2026 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.
This puzzle is themed "Wet blankets", 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.
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 Thursday, Puzzle #480 is a more recent addition to the 480+ puzzle archive.