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 #504) – hint #1 – today’s theme

NYT Strands today (game #504) – hint #2 – clue words

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

• BEAR
• HATS
• DATA
• CHAT
• PAGE
• SONG

NYT Strands today (game #504) – hint #3 – spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #504) – 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 #504) – the answers

The answers to today’s Strands, game #504, are…

• WRAP
• BIKINI
• SARONG
• TRUNKS
• SANDALS
• SWIMSUIT
• SPANGRAM: BEACH ATTIRE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

An easy search today. One that we could do from the safety of a sun lounger without having to tax our brains too much, although initially I did think we were looking for ocean geography.

Some people have very different ideas about BEACH ATTIRE to the ones we searched for.

I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything other than shorts and SANDALS whenever I’ve visited a beach. This is not the case with my whole family, as my grandparents would wear their regular clothes to the beach – and my grandfather’s idea of regular attire was a three-piece suit.

The one concession to their whereabouts would be to place knotted handkerchiefs on their heads, but their cardigans and jackets would stay firmly on regardless of the weather.

Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday, July 19, game #503)

• STICKY
• BALMY
• MUGGY
• SCORCHING
• SWELTERING
• SPANGRAM: SUMMER WEATHER

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.