NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, July 20 (game #139)

Here's a pretty simple Strands puzzle to start the weekend. But as always, that's just my experience – if yours is different, why not use my hints below to give yourself a head start…

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today , NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #139) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A seat at the table

NYT Strands today (game #139) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PLANT
• PLANTS
• SAUCE
• PINK
• SINK
• POOL

NYT Strands today (game #139) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• A waiter's job?

NYT Strands today (game #139) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: bottom, 3rd column

• Last: top, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #139) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #139, are…

• SAUCER
• FORK
• KNIFE
• SPOON
• GLASS
• PLATE
• NAPKIN
• SPANGRAM: PLACESETTING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This is a more traditional Strands puzzle than some of the recent examples: it's simply a collection of words that go together with one obvious theme. Once you find one, and identify the concept, you'll almost certainly have had an easy time of it. In my case, I spotted SAUCER by accident and immediately realized what was needed.

The only slightly tricky part of it was the spangram, with PLACESETTING escaping my attention until relatively late on.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday 19 July, game #138)

• FIELD
• SWANK
• BERRY
• BRIDGES
• PHOENIX
• STONE
• HUNT
• SPANGRAM: BESTACTING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to h ow to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.