If you want to know how to solve the NYT Strands hint puzzle using an LLM on a Windows 11/10 PC, read this post. NYT Strands puzzles mix word search with a cool theme twist. They’re not super hard, but if you ever feel stuck or just want to solve them faster, large language models (LLMs) can help.
From writing emails to brainstorming ideas, LLMs can simplify a bunch of everyday tasks. And interestingly, they can even solve puzzles! Over the past few years, multiple studies and benchmarks have tested LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini on various types of puzzles, showing that they’re increasingly capable, though not always perfect.
How to solve NYT Strands hint puzzle using LLM?
Both paid and free LLMs can help solve NYT Strands puzzles. While paid models tend to be more accurate and consistent, free ones are surprisingly capable if prompted correctly. To solve an NYT Strands hint puzzle using a free LLM in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:
- Take a Screenshot of the Puzzle
- Upload the puzzle image with a prompt
- Let ChatGPT help you solve
Let us see this in detail.
Note: In this guide, we’ll demonstrate the process using ChatGPT’s free version (GPT-4o), which supports image input. However, you can try similar steps with other equally capable free or open-source models, such as Gemini 1.5 Pro (free tier in Google AI Studio).
1] Take a Screenshot of the Puzzle
Open the NYT Strands puzzle in your web browser. Press Win + Shift + S on your keyboard. This will open the Snipping Tool, effectively dimming your screen. Click the left mouse button and drag the pointer to select the puzzle area, including the letter grid and theme. Then release the button. The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard.
2] Upload the puzzle image with a prompt
Open your browser and go to chat.openai.com. Log in with your OpenAI account. In the top-left model dropdown, select GPT-4o (this is required for image support). Place your cursor in the chat message box, and press Ctrl + V (or upload the file if you saved the image earlier).
Add a suitable prompt:
Here’s today’s NYT Strands puzzle. The theme is ‘Fragrant abuse’. Can you help me solve it?
Rules:
All theme words are single words, at least 4 letters long.
No theme words overlap in the grid.
Theme words fill the board completely.
Letters used to form a word must be adjacent, in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal).
No jumping or skipping letters is allowed.
There’s a hidden “spangram” — one or more words that touch two opposite sides of the board and describe the theme.
Tip: Select the reasoning (Think for longer) model when prompting. That works especially well for puzzle solving.
Hit Enter to send the image and prompt.
3] Let ChatGPT help you solve
The model will process the image, understand the theme, and start suggesting possible words.
Now go back to Strands and enter the words it suggests.
If some fit and some don’t, give it feedback like:
You got 5 out of the 7 theme words right on the first try: MALODOROUS, PUNGENT, SMELLY, FOUL, and RANK. That was super helpful. Just to clarify, though, MALODOROUS overlaps with ODOROUS, which isn’t a theme word. Same with STALE, you suggested it, but it turned out to be a non-theme word. I’d like you to discover a few valid non-theme words, since for every 3 of those, I earn a hint.
Also, the spangram you found wasn’t correct. It didn’t touch two opposite sides of the grid as it should. So we still need to figure out the remaining 2 theme words, including the spangram.
It will rework and suggest more words. Try again.
If the model starts making incorrect suggestions, share the latest grid:
I think you might not be reading the grid correctly. I’ve attached the updated image. Found words are highlighted in blue. Please use this version to find the remaining theme word and spangram. Stick to the usual Strands rules: adjacent letters only, no overlapping theme words, and the spangram should touch two opposite edges. And don’t reuse letters from the words we’ve already found.
Once you get a hint, just give it to the LLM. It can often figure out the correct word without much effort.
The word STINK gave me the third non-theme word, so I earned a hint. Let’s keep going. Try forming a word using the letters R, E, E, K, I, N, G. Remember, it has to follow the Strands rules: adjacent letters only, no jumping, and single words only.
Keep prompting the model with updates, hints, and new screenshots if needed, and you’ll eventually crack the full puzzle.
Perfect! Now we just have to crack the spangram. The reminig letters are: S, T, I, N, K, T, A, H, T
Remember, everything depends on the prompt, so craft it carefully. The more descriptive and rule-specific your prompt is, the better the chances that the LLM will solve the puzzle accurately.
I hope you find this useful.
Read: How to find Today’s Wordle Hints and Answers online?
How to find answers to NYT Strands?
To find answers to NYT Strands, start by identifying words related to the given theme using the letter grid. Look for single words (4+ letters) made from adjacent letters. If you’re stuck, you can use an AI tool like ChatGPT to help you brainstorm and spot hidden words.
How to play Strands?
NYT Strands is a fun online word puzzle game you can play solo. The goal is to find theme-related words by connecting adjacent letters in the grid. There’s also a special word called the spangram that stretches across the board and sums up the theme.
Read Next: Where to get everydays solution of Wordle at NYT?
