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 #497) – hint #1 – today’s theme

NYT Strands today (game #497) – hint #2 – clue words

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

• SAND
• AXEL
• KILO
• LOST
• NOTE
• RAIN

NYT Strands today (game #497) – hint #3 – spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #497) – 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 #497) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #497, are…

• LINEN
• WOOL
• SILK
• COTTON
• RAYON
• POLYESTER
• SPANGRAM: TEXTILES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 hints

A real muddle through Strands for me today, with three hints needed to get things done and a head scratcher at the end before I finally saw that the word we were looking for was POLYESTER.

I really wasn’t on my game today. I even connected the letters of non-game word woollen and completely missed WOOL – feeling like a right fool when the hint gave me exactly that.

I guess if you get the puzzle done it’s all immaterial. I hope you found it easier.

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

Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday, July 12, game #496)

• GLOVE
• PEANUTS
• HELMET
• PITCHER
• BULLPEN
• JAMBOTRON
• SPANGRAM: STADIUM

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.