NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, August 9 (game #159)

Here's your final Strands puzzle of the week, gifted to you by those kind folk at the NYT. Read on if you need my Strands hints.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Back to nature

NYT Strands today (game #159) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• GAZE
• HEAR
• GUST
• STEED
• BIRD
• ROOK

NYT Strands today (game #159) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Sleeping under the stars

NYT Strands today (game #159) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First: left, 5th row

• Last: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #159) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #159, are…

• FISH
• CAMP
• STARGAZE
• FORAGE
• HIKE
• BIRDWATCH
• SWIM
• SPANGRAM: OUTDOORSY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

My only issue with today's Strands puzzle is that the answers here don't necessarily reflect my own experience of camping. Don't get me wrong, I love camping – but surely the answers should include the likes of ARGUEWITHTHEKIDS, SHIVERINTHERAIN and WISHYOUWEREATHOMEINTHEWARM. But that's Britain for you.

Anyway, this is a decent edition of Strands, albeit not too tricky. The theme clue rather gave the game away, but there's a wide enough scope for answers that they weren't all obvious.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 8 August, game #158)

• MUSIC
• FLOATS
• SUNSCREEN
• DRINKS
• NOODLES
• TOWELS
• SPANGRAM: POOLPARTY

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.