NYT Strands for today: clues, spangram, and solutions for Monday, April 14.

      Strands is a fresh daily puzzle introduced by the New York Times. This version offers a more challenging spin on the traditional word search, requiring a sharp eye to crack it. Similar to Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands may present difficulties some days. It's perfectly fine to seek assistance occasionally. If you're finding yourself stuck and need the answers to today's Strands puzzle, you can find the solved puzzle below.

      How to Engage with Strands

      Each Strands puzzle begins with the objective of uncovering the “theme words” concealed in the letter grid. You can manipulate the letters by dragging or tapping to form words; double-tap the last letter to confirm. When you identify a correct word, it will turn blue and become unselectable.

      If you come across a word that isn’t a theme word, it still contributes! For every three non-theme words you discover that contain at least four letters, you'll receive a hint — one letter from a theme word will be revealed, which you then need to unscramble.

      Every letter in the grid is utilized to form the theme words with no duplication. Each letter will be used exactly once.

      Each puzzle features one “spangram,” a unique theme word (or words) that relates to the puzzle’s theme and connects two opposite edges of the board. Finding the spangram will mark it in yellow.

      Aim to finish the puzzle swiftly while minimizing the use of hints.

      Hint for Today’s Strands Puzzle

      Today’s theme revolves around “April showers…”

      Here’s a hint for you: What they bring.

      Answers for Today’s Strands

      NYT

      Today’s spangram

      We’ll begin with the spangram, which may guide you in deciphering the theme and completing the rest of the puzzle on your own:

      SPRINGFLOWERS

      Today's Strands Answers:

      TULIP

      DAFFODIL

      LILY

      IRIS

      HYACINTH

      CROCUS

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      3 PlayStation Plus Games to Try This Weekend (April 11-13)

      PlayStation has been relatively quiet this month while the Nintendo Switch 2 takes center stage, and not all of it is positive. The increasing cost of games, especially with some upcoming Switch 2 titles, raises concern. It’s likely that PlayStation and the remainder of the industry will follow this trend, but PlayStation Plus still delivers significant value for a single subscription fee. Although we’re in between new game releases for the service, there’s still one day-one launch we highly recommend. If you’re looking to save some money this weekend by exploring PlayStation Plus before the new PS5 games hit your wallet hard, these are the games to prioritize for your downloads.

      Blue Prince

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      3 New Xbox Game Pass Games to Try This Weekend (April 11-13)

      While the buzz around the Switch 2 is starting to fade, one discussion is gaining momentum. Game prices are under scrutiny due to Nintendo breaking the $70 mark for many upcoming Switch 2 games, making the already fantastic value of Game Pass even more attractive. This week alone saw not one, not two, but three day-one titles that truly showcase its value. We’re also looking forward to Clair Obscur soon, but any of these games are ideal for a slow weekend.

      South of Midnight

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      Steam Leaks Mafia 4’s Release Date, Coming Soon

      Mafia: The Old Country, the next installment in the beloved franchise, was scheduled for release this year — and now Steam has inadvertently uncovered a potential launch date. The game's Steam page suggests it will debut on August 8. It will also be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on the same day. Although this information was quickly removed from the Steam page, attentive fans noted the error.

      While anything short of an official announcement should be taken with caution, details from Steam generally hold credibility. Developer Hanger 13 initially intended to reveal the release at PAX East in early May. Nevertheless, the event on May 8 aims to "unveil a new Gameplay Trailer and provide a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the past, present, and future of this iconic franchise."