NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, August 31 (game #181)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for 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 #181) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Makeshift music

NYT Strands today (game #181) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• POOL
• SPOOL
• MOON
• PINE
• SOON
• WAVE

NYT Strands today (game #181) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Unusual instrumentalists

NYT Strands today (game #181) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #181) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #181, are…

• SPOONS
• BROOM
• COWBELL
• WASHBOARD
• STOVEPIPE
• BONES
• SPANGRAM: JUGBAND

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I'd never heard the term JUGBAND until today, but fortunately the theme clue of 'Makeshift music', coupled with my finding SPOONS early on, cemented the central concept in my mind very early on today.

That made the task easier – but still not easy, because a couple of entries aside (WASHBOARD, COWBELL) I didn't know these things were used as instruments. Solving it therefore became a task in trial and error, with me looking for words, playing them, and seeing if they were answers. How do you play a BROOM? What is a STOVEPIPE? I may never know the answer (unless I look it up), but I am at the very least intrigued now.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday 30 August, game #180)

• FALLOUT
• UNCHARTED
• MINECRAFT
• HALO
• OVERWATCH
• SPANGRAM: VIDEOGAMES

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.