NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #123 (Thursday, July 4 2024)

1. Today's hints

2. Today's answer

3. Yesterday's answer

Need a bit of help with NYT Strands today? Today's puzzle theme — "Nation celebration" — might be slightly tricky if you're outside of the USA.

Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #123, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #123, so read on if you need a little help.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #123.

Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints

The official theme for NYT Strands #123 is... "Nation celebration".

And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Check the date".

If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:

• PING
• SPARE
• DEEP
• CLEAN
• CLAN
• GANDER
• NEEDY

Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'.

Scroll down to find out what it is...

It's INDEPENDENCEDAY.

Today's Strands answers

So, what are today's Strands answers for game #123?

Drumroll, please...

• FIREWORKS
• SPARKLER
• FLAG
• PICNIC
• PARADE

...and the spangram was INDEPENDENCEDAY

Strands #123

“Nation celebration”

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Hey Strands fans. Have we had a topical Strands yet? I think this might be the first.

While it's Election Day here in the United Kingdom, on the other side of the Atlantic, it's Independence Day, which happens to be the meaning of today's theme: "Nation celebration".

I spotted FIREWORKS right away, spelt along the right-hand side of the board. And as soon as that was in place, I remembered what day it was, and looked for the spangram of INDEPENDENCEDAY, which I found spelt from the bottom of the board to the top.

It should be easy from here, right? But it turns out that I don't really know what happens on Independence Day, other than fireworks. Thankfully, with the board split in two, I was able to see the second word on the right-hand side spelt out for me: SPARKLER.

I also know that celebrations involve the Stars & Stripes, so was pleased to spot FLAG in the middle of the left-hand side.

That neatly left just two words to find in two seperate segments: just as well, as I had no idea that PICNICs were a thing to mark the big day. Though I think that I probably could have figured out there might be a PARADE or two...

Yesterday's Strands answers

Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #122 right here .