The New York Times is known for their daily games—like Wordle, Strands, Connections and Pips—that basically have a cult-following. Fans of these puzzles will typically play every single day, and even look up hints about the answers to avoid running out of chances (which happens in Wordle and Connections), or simply leaving a game unfinished.
Players have all sorts of strategies—including looking up yesterday’s answers (again, that’s especially popular with Wordle and Connections) to have a better idea of what the new daily puzzle *won’t* have.
So, if you’re someone who’s always looking for hints and clues to improve your personal strategy, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve talked to Tracy Bennett, NYT Games Puzzle Editor for Wordle and Strands. She reveals a Strands theme idea that will “never” be used (and why), along with the most recent Wordle answer that she got “a lot of grief” from friends and family for using, and more.
Related: 15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day
This Theme Will ‘Never’ Be on Strands, According to a NYT Games Editor
As you find yourself guessing the new Strands theme each day, there’s at least one that you can cross off your list of possibilities.
“With Strands, I was trying to make a Supreme pizza themed board in the days when I was making them by hand on graph paper, and it took me too long to figure out why the board kept failing to load at the electronic stage,” Bennett tells Parade. “Duh! You can’t have PEPPER and PEPPERONI in the same theme, because they create duplicate paths for PEPPER! So alas, there will never be a supreme pizza Strands board.”
A Recent Controversial Wordle Answer
Sometimes, a word just *feels* made up. There are some days when the Wordle seems impossible to solve, and then when you finally see the answer, you might roll your eyes. When puzzle editors start getting texts from their loved ones, they know there’s going to be plenty of online discourse as well.
“The public seems sharply divided on informal vocabulary,” Bennett reveals. “Most recently, I got a lot of grief from people I know about GOFER. It was one of the few words where a friend or family will go out of their way to chide me about. When I get guff from my friends, I know the public commentary will also be rough!”
(That Wordle answer appeared on the daily puzzle for Friday, July 25, 2025.)
Related: 15 Games Like Wordle To Give You Your Word Game Fix More Than Once Every 24 Hours
Kismet Moments With Wordle Puzzles
NYT Games fans might be quick to share their frustrations with some puzzles, but they’re just as quick to share serendipitous moments as well.
“Every so often, I hear from solvers about a bit of Wordle magic, where the Wordle word aligned with a meaningful moment in someone’s life,” Bennett tells Parade.
While some of these connections might be more obvious, others feel random and meant to be in the best way.
“Certain words are bound to be significant for someone on a certain day, like BRIDE or GROOM or BIRTH or FORTY, but others are less obvious,” she continues. “Two people wrote to me separately about POPPY being special and meaningful to them on the day it ran. In one case, the word aligned with a birthday, and in the other case, it aligned with someone’s passing.”
We love to hear about these fortuitous moments, bringing unexpected significance to a casual activity.
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Related: How To Play ‘Pips’: Puzzle Editor Reveals 3 Tips for the New Daily NYT Game
Source:
- Tracy Bennett, NYT Games Puzzle Editor (Wordle, Strands)
