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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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

Your Strands expert

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #1 – today’s theme

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #2 – clue words

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

• MINE
• ROOM
• BARE
• POKE
• MANE
• FINE

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #3 – spangram

NYT Strands today (game #263) – hint #4 – spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #263) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #263, are…

• POKER
• CHIMNEY
• BROOM
• FLUE
• HEARTH
• SCREEN
• MANTEL
• SPANGRAM: FIREPLACE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This will date me, but does anyone else remember those wonderful Busytown and Lowly Worm books by Richard Scarry? I loved these as kids, poring over the illustrations in search of all of the different named objects and characters. Playing Strands sometimes feels like a similar exercise. “Today’s theme, children, is FIREPLACE. Now name as many words as you can that are related. Yes, CHIMNEY, that’s a good one. Oh well done, you got BROOM!”

That is the point of Strands, I guess, but equally it’s more challenging when the puzzle is a little more creative – for instance when it involves pairs of things, or phrases, or logic in some way. Just naming things is a lot easier, and Strands is not a difficult game at the best of times. We’re 250-plus games in now, and I don’t think I’ve ever failed one. Contrast that with Connections, where I fail regularly, and you can see the problem.

Anyway, there’s no major problem with today’s game, it’s just a little straightforward to hold the attention for longer than a few minutes. Maybe that’s no bad thing, given how busy we all are, though.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 20 November, game #262)

• LITTER
• BONE
• COLLAR
• KIBBLE
• BALL
• LASER
• CATNIP
• SPANGRAM: PETSUPPLIES

Marc is TechRadar’s Global Editor in Chief, the latest in a long line of senior editorial roles he’s held in a career that started the week that Google launched (nice of them to mark the occasion). Prior to joining TR, he was UK Editor in Chief on Tom’s Guide, where he oversaw all gaming, streaming, audio, TV, entertainment, how-to and cameras coverage. He’s also a former editor of the tech website Stuff and spent five years at the music magazine NME, where his duties mainly involved spoiling other people’s fun. He’s based in London, and has tested and written about phones, tablets, wearables, streaming boxes, smart home devices, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, games, TVs, cameras and pretty much every other type of gadget you can think of. An avid photographer, Marc likes nothing better than taking pictures of very small things (bugs, his daughters) or very big things (distant galaxies). He also enjoys live music, gaming, cycling, and beating Wordle (he authors the daily Wordle today page).