Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answer and Help for April 3 #396

Importance Score: 15 / 100 🟠

Seeking the latest Strands solution? Discover today’s Strands hints here, along with daily answers and clues for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, and Connections: Sports Edition games.


Today’s NYT Strands puzzle offers an engaging challenge. The theme is quite revealing, simplifying the task. For those desiring assistance, hints and solutions are provided below.

Detailed instructions regarding the Strands rules are available in this guide.

For today’s Wordle, Connections, and Mini Crossword solutions, refer to FASTNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Explore more: NYT Connections Celebrates 1 Year: Examining the 5 Most Challenging Puzzles

Today’s Strands Puzzle Assistance

The theme for today’s Strands puzzle is: Get the bug.

If you require further guidance, consider this clue: Crawling insects.

Guidance to Unlock In-Game Hints

Your objective is to locate concealed words aligning with the puzzle’s theme. If you encounter difficulty, identify any words possible. Upon discovering three words of four or more letters, Strands will unveil a theme word. These are example words used to obtain hints, however, any words with four or more letters will be effective:

  • LAND, LANK, HANK, SLID, KIND, TINK, LOOM, LOOT, LOOTS, SPOT, SOPS, SANT, SLOG, SLOGS, LOST, MOLE, SLOT, SLOTS.

Strands Puzzle Solutions for Today

These are the solutions related to the theme. The puzzle’s aim is to uncover all answers, including the spangram, a theme word stretching across the puzzle grid. Once all words are found (initially believed to be consistently eight, but the count can vary), every letter on the grid will be utilized. Below are the non-spangram solutions:

  • LADY, STINK, DOODLE, POTATO, ASSASSIN, LIGHTNING

Today’s Strands Spangram Solution

The completed NYT Strands puzzle for April 3, 2025, No. 396.


Today’s Strands spangram is ENTOMOLOGY. To locate it, begin at the E, positioned four letters down in the leftmost column and proceed horizontally.

Challenging Strands Puzzles in Review

Below are examples of some Strands themes considered more difficult in recent weeks:

#1: Outdated Slang, Jan. 21

This theme might challenge those unfamiliar with this bygone vocabulary. Hardest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows!, Jan. 15

Individuals with expertise in marine biology may excel at this puzzle. Hardest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9

Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle, familiarity with sea creatures is beneficial. Hardest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.


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