NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Mar 16, 2025 - 16:04
 0
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Sound switching

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • DINE
  • TRICK
  • STICK
  • HELP
  • BEEN
  • GRIN

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #379) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 379 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #379, are…

  • CROW
  • CHIPS
  • WELLS
  • BEDDING
  • BLUSHING
  • STRICKEN
  • SPANGRAM: SPOONERISMS

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 3 hints

SPOONERISMS are a verbal error where the speaker mixes up the letters of two or more words in a phrase, often with comedic results.

They also make for a very tricky Strands and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled with the search – not least because if you didn't have the first one you'd find it tough to locate its pair.

Spoonerisms often occur when someone is struggling to find the right words or speaking in a hurry and getting their words muddled – for instance a priest talking about BEDDING WELLS or someone delivering a BLUSHING CROW.

Back in the late 20th century there was a British comedian called Stanley Unwin who became famous after turning Spoonerisms into an artform and creating his own language (Unwinese) out of it.

He’d begin by asking the audience: “Are you all sitty comftybold two-square on your botty?” before launching into his routine of nonsense verse and rambling stories, interspersed with cries of “deep joy”. He was a lovely man.

Anyway, got to go, I’m off to make a chilled STRICKEN CHIPS sandwich for lunch.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 16 March, game #378)

  • RACE
  • QUALIFYING
  • PITS
  • PODIUM
  • PRACTICE
  • SPRINT
  • SPANGRAM: FORMULA ONE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.