Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answers for September 13, Puzzle #559

The New York Times Strands puzzle for September 13, 2025, is out. Puzzle #559 comes with a clever theme and a tricky spangram. Many players struggled at first but solved it with patience. The theme is “Better than good.”

The puzzle builds around the idea of words linked to the phrase “great.” Tony the Tiger’s iconic line “They’re great!” is the clue that makes everything fall into place. Once the theme is clear, the answers connect smoothly.

NYT Strands September 13 Puzzle Explained

The Strands puzzle is part of The New York Times’ growing word game lineup. It follows the popularity of Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword. Strands asks players to find hidden theme words inside a grid.

For today’s game, every solution works with the word “great” in front of it. For example, “aunt” becomes “great aunt,” and “plains” becomes “Great Plains.” This theme made the puzzle both fun and a little challenging.

The non-spangram answers are:

APES

AUNTS

LAKES

MINDS

PLAINS

EXPECTATIONS

The spangram that ties the puzzle together is THEYREGREAT. This stretches across the board and confirms the theme.

Hints and How to Solve Today’s Strands

Players who were stuck could use clue words to unlock hints. Common words like SEAT, GRAM, PLATE, and NUTS helped trigger theme reveals. Each time three valid words were found, the game unlocked one hidden theme word.

The completed puzzle used every letter in the grid. That is the mark of a full Strands solve. Many fans said they needed the spangram to see how the smaller answers fit the “great” idea.

Strands continues to grow in popularity. It offers a more layered challenge than Wordle but remains simple enough for quick daily play. According to outlets like CNET, many players find it both frustrating and satisfying.

Why Strands Matters for Puzzle Fans

The NYT puzzle family keeps expanding. Strands stands out because it mixes logic with theme recognition. Unlike a crossword, it does not rely on trivia. Instead, it pushes word association and pattern spotting.

For casual players, this makes Strands a good balance between skill and fun. For seasoned solvers, it adds a twist that keeps the routine fresh. Each day’s puzzle comes with a unique theme that changes the solving approach.

Today’s NYT Strands hints and answers prove how themes add both difficulty and delight. The “Better than good” puzzle gave fans a classic phrase to crack, making the payoff worth the struggle.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What is today’s NYT Strands theme?

The theme for September 13, 2025, is “Better than good.” The clue was Tony the Tiger’s line “They’re great!”

Q2: What is the Strands spangram today?

The spangram is THEYREGREAT. It runs across the board and ties the theme together.

Q3: What are the non-spangram answers for today?

The answers are APES, AUNTS, LAKES, MINDS, PLAINS, and EXPECTATIONS. All connect with the word “great.”

Q4: How do you unlock hints in Strands?

By finding any three words of four letters or more. Each set of three reveals one theme word.

Q5: Why is Strands different from Wordle?

Wordle is about guessing one hidden word. Strands is about finding multiple theme-linked words inside a grid.