NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, August 11 (game #161)

Today's Strands puzzle from the NYT is a tough one – or at least that was my experience. You may well disagree, but if not there are hints below.

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Home stretch?

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MOOT
• TOME
• RUNS
• SANDY
• OVER
• PAINT

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Outdoor living

NYT Strands today (game #161) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #161) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #161, are…

• DECK
• PATIO
• VERANDA
• BALCONY
• SUNROOM
• TERRACE
• SPANGRAM: BONUSSPACES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 4 hints

I really, really struggled with today's Strands. I struggled to get started, and needed a hint to find the first word. That was DECK, and I struggled then to see the relationship to the theme clue, 'Home stretch?', and so needed another hint. That gave me PATIO, at which point I realized what I needed to do. However, I then struggled to think of – or find – any other words. Eventually I needed hints for BALCONY and SUNROOM, and by that stage there were very few words that could still be formed, so I did manage to find the others. Even so, the spangram, BONUSSPACES, still took me an age to uncover. Not a good day.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 10 August, game #160)

• HOCKEY
• CONTROL
• LICORICE
• MEMORY
• SWIZZLE
• CINNAMON
• SPANGRAM: STICKS

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.