Solved! NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, and Answers for November 17, 2025

The New York Times’ daily word game Strands has a new challenge for players on Monday, November 17, 2025. The puzzle’s theme today is “Paw Patrol.” This fun, animal-themed hint has left many word-search fans both excited and slightly confused. Do you need to know about the cartoon? Not really! The actual words connect to the theme in a clever way.

Strands is now one of the most popular puzzles in the NYT Games lineup, right alongside Wordle and Connections. It makes for a great daily brain workout. Here is a full breakdown of the hints, the Spangram, and the final solutions for today’s puzzle, number 624.

What is the Theme for NYT Strands Today?

The single-word clue for today’s puzzle is “Paw Patrol.”

The full theme for this puzzle is about dogs with special jobs. Think about the skilled animals that help humans every day. According to Lifehacker, the theme hints at the “career paths for man’s best friend.” This clue helps point you toward the seven hidden words in the 6×8 grid. You need to find all the theme words and the Spangram to solve the puzzle completely.

• Initial Clue: Paw Patrol
• Deeper Hint: Fido has many important jobs (As reported by CNET).
• The Topic: Different types of service or working dogs.

Finding the theme is the first and most important step to solving any Strands game.

Today’s Spangram Hint and Solution

Every day, the Strands grid holds one special word or phrase. This word is called the Spangram. It usually gives the best, most direct clue to the puzzle’s theme. A key feature of the Spangram is that it stretches from one side of the board to the other. It can go horizontally, vertically, or sometimes even diagonally. When you find the Spangram, it lights up in yellow.

Spangram Clues to Start Your Search

• This two-word phrase is the main title for today’s puzzle.
• It describes the type of dogs that perform the theme words.
• It starts with the letters WO (According to The Economic Times).
• Orientation: Horizontal, meaning it goes across the board.

The November 17 Spangram Answer

The answer is a two-word phrase that sums up the puzzle perfectly.

• SPANGRAM: WORKING DOGS

Finding the Spangram early can make the rest of the puzzle much easier. Look for the path of these letters touching opposite sides of the grid.

All Theme Words for November 17, 2025

After finding the Spangram, you must locate all the remaining theme words. These words are all types of jobs or roles performed by dogs. They will light up in blue when you find them. Remember, words can bend and turn in any direction: up, down, left, right, and diagonally.

There are six other theme words to find today, along with the Spangram.

Full List of Theme Words

Here are the words related to the “Paw Patrol” theme and WORKING DOGS:

1. GUIDE (Think of seeing-eye dogs.)
2. SERVICE (General term for a dog that helps a person with a disability.)
3. RESCUE (Dogs trained to find lost people.)
4. GUARD (Dogs that protect property or people.)
5. HERDING (Dogs used on farms to move livestock.)
6. THERAPY (Dogs that offer comfort and emotional support.)

How to Play NYT Strands

If you are new to the game, Strands is a mix between a traditional word search and a creative word association game. You play it on a 6×8 letter grid.

1. The Clue: You start with a short clue (like “Paw Patrol”). This hints at the category.
2. Theme Words: Your job is to find words related to that clue. Correct theme words turn blue.
3. The Spangram: The most important word is the Spangram. It spans the entire grid and is the main theme. It turns yellow when you find it.
4. Word Paths: Words can go in any direction—up, down, forward, backward, or diagonally. You can also turn corners. Each letter can only be used once.
5. Hints: If you get stuck, you can submit any non-theme word that is four letters or longer. Every three non-theme words you find will unlock one hint. A hint will outline the letters of a theme word, but you still have to trace the path yourself.
6. Win: You win when every single letter on the board is used up by the theme words and the Spangram.

Strands is designed to be a fun, daily challenge. It’s okay to take your time and use a hint if you need to!

Opinion and Methodology

Opinion

Opinion: The “Paw Patrol” theme for November 17 is a great example of what makes Strands challenging yet satisfying. The initial clue feels like a simple nod to a children’s cartoon. This misdirection is a common feature in Strands. It forces players to think about the literal meaning of the phrase rather than a pop culture reference.

BoxOfficeWala

Methodology

Our methodology for solving this puzzle was to quickly find any dog-related words. The word GUIDE often stands out in the corner letters. Once we found GUIDE, the connection to SERVICE dogs became clear. This led us to hypothesize that the Spangram was WORKING DOGS. A quick check for that long horizontal word confirmed our guess. The remaining words fell into place quickly once the core concept was confirmed. The theme is concise and well-executed. It has a high CTR (Click-Through Rate) because the initial clue is very clickable. It is just vague enough to get players searching.