NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 28 (game #604)

NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
(Image credit: New York Times)
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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, October 27 (game #603).

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.

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 #604) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… The write stuff

NYT Strands today (game #604) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • WORSE
  • READ 
  • WOOD
  • HIDE
  • HEAR
  • LIFER

NYT Strands today (game #604) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #604) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #604) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 604 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #604, are…

  • ERASER
  • REFILL
  • GRAPHITE
  • CEDARWOOD
  • SHARPENER
  • SPANGRAM: PENCILMEIN

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 1 hint

I struggled with today’s search, mainly because I got the wrong idea about what “The write stuff” was referring to.

After getting plenty of non-game words I found ERASER and REFILL as I circled around the game, and the penny finally dropped. Seeing the word “pencil” and it not turning pale blue was a puzzler. It took me getting a hint word – GRAPHITE – and then having only the spangram left on the board for me to find it.

Until today I had never thought about the wood pencils are made from, but I have since learned that CEDARWOOD was preferred as it sharpens easily.

However, I have also discovered the raging debate over the future of pencils due to the unsustainability of cedar and the threat of plastic and springs.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, October 27, game #603)

  • AMULET
  • POTION
  • CHARM
  • WAND
  • INCANTATION
  • CAULDRON
  • SPANGRAM: WIZARDY

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.

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Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

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