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Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're simple.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 22, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Trademarked no more

The words are related to common items.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe everyday objects.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Generic Term.

NYT Strands word list for March 22

• Zipper

• Escalator

• Thermos

• Generic Term

• Aspirin

• Dumpster

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to garnish your meals.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 22, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for March 22, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

An herb.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BASIL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

My smart home definitely doesn’t need a dedicated dashboard. Even so, I’ll eventually probably throw something together on the cheap, just because I can. But if I had a few grand to spend on something fancy, I’d buy a far less useful but ultimately more beautiful relic of the past instead.

SUVs are everywhere now, from tiny runabouts like the Hyundai Venue to massive family haulers like the Cadillac Escalade ESV. But most people aren’t shopping at the extremes—they want something right in the middle that’s easy to live with, efficient, and still roomy enough for real life.

Plug-in hybrid SUVs promise the best of both worlds—electric-only driving for short trips and gasoline backup for longer journeys—but they often come with a steep price premium. In 2026, however, one model stands out for delivering that versatility without compromising on value. The Toyota RAV4 PHEV combines strong efficiency, impressive performance, and everyday practicality in a way that makes it one of the most compelling options in its class.

Home Assistant has many features and functions that can be easy to overlook. Something I hadn’t done until recently was group similar devices together in order to control multiple things at once. This solved a problem I was having with my smart home.

It is a well-known fact that Chuck Norris never needed a garage; he simply parked his vehicles wherever he wanted, and the Earth would manifest a structure around. However, the world is currently mourning the man behind the myth and the man who inspired countless witty one-liners and analogies that are forever cemented into online lore.

If there's one thing I love about Netflix, it is the platform's offering of short yet gripping shows. Be it a limited or a miniseries, compact shows make for amazing weekend watches, especially when the plot is thick with intrigue.

It's a big week to be a Minecraft fan. Merlin Entertainments and Mojang Studios announced Minecraft World, a £50 million ($66.7 million) themed land opening at Chessington World of Adventures outside London in 2027. It will be the first fully immersive Minecraft theme park experience ever built. Given that Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, it's a little surprising it took this long.

SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Pokopia' is 'Minecraft' for Pokémon, and fans will lose hundreds of hours to it

The land will include a world-first Minecraft roller coaster, interactive attractions, block-built play areas, and themed dining and retail. According to the press release from Merlin, Minecraft World is one of its most ambitious theme park developments in recent years, built in close collaboration with Mojang to make sure everything feels authentically Minecraft. A selection of notable Minecraft creators are also involved in bringing the universe to life.

Chessington is about 35 minutes from London Waterloo by direct train, if you're already mentally planning the trip.

On the game side, Mojang used its Minecraft Live March 2026 presentation to announce two upcoming updates. The first, Tiny Takeover, drops March 24 and gives nearly every baby mob a visual and audio overhaul — new models, fresh sound effects, and individual "sound personalities" for farm animals. A new item called the Golden Dandelion lets players keep any mob in its baby form permanently.

Later in 2026, Chaos Cubed introduces sulfur caves — toxic underground biomes with gas particles that inflict a noxious effect — plus a new mob called the sulfur cube, which absorbs surrounding materials and evolves its properties accordingly.

For years, American enthusiasts have watched from afar as one of Europe’s most exciting lightweight sports cars remained out of reach. Designed with a clear focus on balance, agility, and driver engagement, this French coupe has earned widespread praise as a true rival to the Porsche 718 Cayman. Despite growing interest, however, it has never officially been offered in the U.S. market.

Backblaze is one of the largest cloud storage companies in the world and the publisher of an annual HDD stats report it has been providing since 2013. The company recently published its 2025 report, so let’s dive into the data and see which drives were the most reliable, and which earned the dubious honor of being the least reliable.

TVs are often set up to look great in the store, but they don't always look so good when you get them home. They have gimmicky features that are designed to make your experience better but often have the opposite effect.

Minivans are back in style, and the Chrysler Pacifica has been leading the pack as America’s top-selling model. It’s consistently at the top for both sales and value, making it a reliable pick for families.

Some people treat self-hosted apps as permanent infrastructure. Once installed, they leave them running forever, waiting to be used, even if in reality many apps are only actually needed for a few hours a week.

Smart home devices with cloud-based features can feel surprisingly affordable and convenient when you first buy them. However, the ongoing costs and potential risks aren't always obvious until further down the line. The real cost isn't just what you pay up front, but what happens when the company changes the rules.

I grew tired of paying for Google One storage just to use Google Photos. Plus, I wanted more privacy and security over my stored pictures. What did I do? I built my own server to replace Google Photos, and you can too.

Are you still using your RAID card for RAID? It’s time to move to software-based RAID—but don’t throw that RAID card out yet, it still has a lot of use in your homelab.

Every week I deliver posts on some of the best documentaries to watch on Netflix and Prime Video, but I'm also a Paramount+ subscriber, and lately I've been finding some absolute killer docs on the service, and you deserve to enjoy them, too.

I know March Madness will be on everyone's TV this weekend, and rightfully so, but if you're not among the basketball devout, or you just want a break from all the, er, madness, flip over to HBO Max and try out one of our suggestions this weekend.

Have you ever found yourself wanting a new Ryobi tool, only to realize how expensive it is, and left the store or closed your browser tab? Cordless power tools (and battery packs) are expensive, and the secret to finding lower prices and better Ryobi deals is easier than you think.