If it’s Monday, it must be time to stretch those brain muscles with a brand new Strands puzzle from The New York Times. Whether you’re a word game veteran or someone just dabbling during your coffee break, Strands has become a favorite for players who want something trickier than Wordle, but less intimidating than the full NYT Crossword.
As always, today’s puzzle brings us a theme, a spangram, and a web of words to untangle. Let’s dive into the hints, the solution, and what makes this one interesting.
How To Play Strands
For those who are new here, a quick primer:
Strands is a letter-grid puzzle — 6 rows by 8 columns. Your job is to find themed words hidden in the grid. These theme words are usually tied together by a category or concept, and they get highlighted in blue when found.
There’s also the elusive “spangram” — a yellow-highlighted word or phrase that runs from one edge of the board to the other and encapsulates the overall theme. Unlike regular theme words, the spangram can be a proper noun.
Sometimes the puzzle is straightforward. Other times? Not so much.
Also read: Today’s Wordle Hints and Answer for Monday June 23, 2025
Today’s NYT Strands Hints for June 23
“Breaking up the band”
And here’s my personal interpretation of that clue:
Two words: Classic duos from music’s golden age.
We’re clearly in for a music-themed puzzle today — specifically, rock bands with names made up of two words, often quirky, and widely known.
Today’s Spangram:
ROCKGROUPS
That’s right — today’s theme is all about famous rock bands with two-word names, many of which have stood the test of time. The clue “Breaking up the band” works on multiple levels: these are bands (literal), and many of them did famously split up.
Today’s NYT Strands Answers for June 23
Here’s the full list of today’s blue-highlighted theme words:
- SMASHING
- PUMPKINS
- TALKING
- HEADS
- CHEAP
- TRICK
These words pair up like this:
- SMASHING PUMPKINS – Alt-rock legends from the ’90s.
- TALKING HEADS – Art rock pioneers known for hits like Psycho Killer and Once in a Lifetime.
- CHEAP TRICK – Power-pop royalty who gave us I Want You to Want Me.
Once you recognize the pairings, it’s smooth sailing. But the trick (no pun intended) is finding them separately in the grid, which might initially throw you off if you’re not expecting the answers to come in disconnected halves.
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Commentary & Strategy
Today’s puzzle follows a pattern we’ve seen in Strands before — where multi-word answers are split across the board. It makes for an interesting challenge. Once you find one half of a name (like “SMASHING”), your brain starts scanning for its counterpart (“PUMPKINS”), and that kind of forced pairing makes the experience more dynamic.
What’s more interesting is that the puzzle only gives us three actual pairs, making it seem deceptively sparse. That said, these three bands are iconic, which helps balance the difficulty. If you’re a millennial or older, you probably had at least one of these artists on your burned CDs or iPod back in the day.
It also brings up a curious aspect of Strands: the game’s editorial choices. There are dozens of two-word band names that could’ve made the cut: Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Linkin Park, or even Imagine Dragons. But the puzzle creators must work within the grid constraints. It’s a testament to the challenge of puzzle design that only a few make it in.
Also read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Monday, June 23
Final Thoughts
“Breaking up the band” was a fun and clever theme to start the week. It offered just enough nostalgia and challenge without becoming frustrating. The split-word format can be tricky if you’re not used to it, but once you crack the code, it feels rewarding.
As Strands continues its beta phase, puzzles like these show why it’s becoming a favorite — it’s smart, fresh, and just the right amount of difficult.
Now go cue up some Smashing Pumpkins and reward yourself.
