If you were staring at a grid of letters on April 7, 2024, feeling like your brain was melting, you weren't alone. That specific Sunday puzzle, Strands #35, became a bit of a legend in the NYT Games community. The theme was "This’ll all blow over" and honestly? It was one of the cleverer puns the editors have thrown at us.
Strands is still technically in its early years—or at least it feels that way compared to the decades-old Crossword—but puzzles like the one on April 7 are exactly why it hooked so many of us. It’s not just a word search. It's a riddle wrapped in a grid.
The Strands Hint April 7: What Was the Clue?
The official theme hint provided by the New York Times was: "This’ll all blow over." When you first see that, your mind probably goes to a few places. Maybe it’s about weather? Storms? Or maybe it’s an idiom about things getting better. But in the world of Strands, the hint is usually more literal than you think.
The secret to solving the April 7 puzzle was realizing that "blow over" didn't mean a situation ending. It meant physical objects that are so light they can be blown through the air. Basically, if you could huff and puff and move it, it was probably on the board.
The Spangram That Tied It All Together
The Spangram is the "North Star" of any Strands puzzle. It’s the word that spans from one side of the board to the other and describes the theme. For April 7, the Spangram was LIGHTWEIGHT.
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Finding it was the turning point for most players. Once you see "LIGHTWEIGHT," you stop looking for storm clouds and start looking for things that weigh next to nothing.
All the Answers for April 7 (Game #35)
If you're looking back at this puzzle for archives or just curious what you missed, here is the full breakdown of the theme words. These weren't exactly easy to spot because some of them overlapped in weird, twisty patterns.
- STRAW: This was often the first word people found. It’s small, it’s hollow, and it definitely blows over.
- BUBBLE: A classic "light" object.
- FEATHER: Probably the most iconic thing that "blows over."
- PAPER: Think of a loose sheet on a windy day.
- BALLOON: This one caught some people off guard because it’s often tied down, but it fits the bill.
- EYELASH: This was the "gotcha" word. You blow on an eyelash for luck, right? Super clever inclusion.
- LIGHTWEIGHT (The Spangram): Running across the board to connect the theme.
Why This Specific Puzzle Was Hard
Most people got stuck on the word EYELASH. It’s just not a word you expect to see in a "weather-adjacent" word search. Plus, the way the letters were snaked around the grid made it particularly devious.
Another reason people struggled was the phrase "blow over." Most of us use that as a metaphor. "Don't worry, this drama will blow over." When the puzzle turned out to be about physical weight, it required a mental shift that some players didn't make until they had used two or three hints.
How the Hint System Works
In case you’re new to the game, you get hints by finding "non-theme" words. If you find three words that are at least four letters long but aren't part of the daily theme, the game gives you a hint.
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On April 7, players were finding words like "WEATHER" or "WINDY" which weren't actually the answers. This happened because the board was so packed with "distractor" letters. It’s a common tactic used by the NYT editors to keep us on our toes.
Strategies for Future Strands Puzzles
If you want to avoid getting stumped like many did on April 7, you've gotta change how you look at the theme title. Here are a few things that actually work:
Say the theme out loud. Sometimes hearing the words helps you catch a double meaning you didn't see when reading it. "This'll all blow over" sounds very different when you emphasize the word "blow."
Look for the "y" or "w" letters. In English, these are often the anchors for specific types of words. On the April 7 board, finding the "Y" in EYELASH was the key to unlocking that entire corner.
Don't ignore the small words. It’s tempting to look for big, 9-letter words first. But often, finding a 4-letter word like STRAW clears up enough of the board to make the Spangram obvious.
The Evolution of Strands Hints
Since April 2024, Strands has definitely evolved. The editors have leaned harder into these pun-heavy themes. We've seen themes about "Getting Along" or "Hybrid Creatures" (which was actually the theme for the April 7 puzzle in 2025—funny how they reuse dates for different years!).
Comparing the April 7, 2024 puzzle to the April 7, 2025 puzzle shows just how much the game has grown. The 2025 version used HYBRID CREATURE as a Spangram, featuring words like CENTAUR and GRIFFIN. It’s a totally different vibe, but the core challenge remains: you have to think outside the literal box.
Looking Ahead
Whether you're playing the current daily puzzle or digging through the archives to test your skills, remember that the theme is your best friend and your worst enemy. It’s designed to lead you and mislead you simultaneously.
For the strands hint april 7, the lesson was simple: take things literally. If the puzzle says something is going to "blow," look for things that move in the wind.
If you're currently stuck on a puzzle, try to find three random words—anything you see, like "TILE" or "CATS"—just to bank those hints. There is no shame in using a hint to reveal the first letter of a word. Often, that one letter is all you need to see the pattern that was hiding in plain sight.
Go back to the grid. Look for the unusual letter combinations like "GHT" or "CK." Those are usually the edges of the theme words. And most importantly, don't let the puns get the best of you. They're just words, after all.
Keep your eyes on the corners of the grid. That's usually where the twistiest words like "EYELASH" or "JACKALOPE" hide. Once you clear the corners, the middle of the board usually solves itself.
Happy hunting.