Strands Hints and Answers for November 16, 2025: Today’s Theme, Words, and Spangram Explained

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle for November 16, 2025, brings a creative twist to wordplay. The theme “Around It Goes” challenged players with circular logic — quite literally. If you struggled to finish today’s grid, here’s a full breakdown of the hints, answers, and the spangram that ties everything together.

The puzzle, labeled No. 623, was a tough one. According to CNET’s Gael Cooper, today’s Strands included an unusual mix of objects that “go around,” making it one of the trickier recent editions for fans of The New York Times word game series.

Today’s Strands Theme and Clue Breakdown

The official theme for today’s Strands puzzle is “Around It Goes.” If that didn’t immediately click, the secondary clue — “They’re often on a roll” — was the nudge players needed. The phrase suggested items that wrap, twirl, or encircle something.

As always, the Strands puzzle required players to identify hidden words that fit the theme. Each time you found three valid four-letter words, the game revealed one theme word to help you progress. Some of the clue words used today included: CARE, SWAT, HALT, POLL, and STENT. These helped unlock the primary answers below.

All Answers for NYT Strands November 16, 2025

Here’s the full list of today’s theme-related answers:

• FOIL
• SCARF
• SHAWL
• STOLE
• FLATBREAD
• CELLOPHANE

Each of these words connects directly to the day’s “around it goes” theme — all items that wrap, roll, or cover. Whether it’s food (like flatbread), clothing (shawl, stole, scarf), or materials (foil, cellophane), they all share a “wrapping” characteristic.

Today’s Spangram: THATSAWRAP

The spangram — the special word that crosses the entire grid — was THATSAWRAP. To locate it, start from the T three letters up from the bottom of the far-left column, and trace across and up to complete the path. It perfectly summarizes the day’s theme and serves as a witty conclusion to this wrap-centered puzzle.

Players who completed the board used every single letter, as is standard for NYT Strands. While some puzzles feature eight themed words, today’s edition contained six plus the spangram, which still delivered a satisfying conclusion once solved.

How Today’s Strands Compares to Other NYT Games

Many solvers noted this puzzle felt harder than usual due to the abstract theme phrasing. Compared to recent easier sets — such as the “Tuned In” music-themed puzzle earlier this week — “Around It Goes” required a bit more lateral thinking.

The Strands puzzle continues to grow in popularity alongside other New York Times Games titles like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword. Each day’s Strands challenge pushes players to think outside the box — or in today’s case, around it.

That’s all for today’s Strands hints and answers. Tomorrow’s puzzle (#624) will bring a new theme and a new spangram, keeping fans guessing and word-hunting once again.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What was the theme of today’s NYT Strands?

The theme was “Around It Goes,” referring to objects that wrap or roll around something.

Q2: What was today’s Strands spangram?

THATSAWRAP was the spangram for November 16, 2025.

Q3: How many themed words were in today’s Strands puzzle?

There were six theme words, plus the spangram, for a total of seven solutions.

Q4: Is the Strands puzzle harder than Wordle?

It depends on the theme, but many players find Strands more challenging due to its hidden-word structure.

Q5: Where can players find daily NYT puzzle hints?

Daily hints are featured by major outlets such as CNET, which regularly posts updates for Wordle, Connections, and Strands.