Strands, the New York Times’ daily word hunt, drops a fresh themed grid every midnight. If you’re playing today’s puzzle (#565) and want a nudge before the reveals, start here. New to the game? You can play and see the rules on the official Strands page.

Today’s theme hint

Theme: “Pour it on”

  • Think milks that don’t come from cows.
  • You’ll see grains, seeds, and nuts you might add to coffee or cereal.

Light hints before the answers

  • Short entries include a grain and a seed.
  • Most of the longer entries are nuts.
  • One answer is a tropical staple you’ll find in many smoothie recipes.

In-game helper words (to fish for a hint)

If you’re trying to trigger the in‑game hint system by entering any valid words, these can help you get started:

  • CORN, FAIR, COLD, DONE, SHEAF, FADE

Tip: Every three non‑theme words you find will surface a theme word on the board.

Spangram guidance

  • Length: 12 letters
  • Board path: touches the left edge on row 4 and the right edge on row 8
  • Look for a starting N on the far-left column, fourth row, then weave across and down.

Spoilers: today’s full answers

  • RICE
  • COCONUT
  • ALMOND
  • MACADAMIA
  • FLAX
  • CASHEW
  • Spangram: NONDAIRYMILK

What to know about the grid

  • The board is 6×8, and every letter is used by the time you finish.
  • Theme words can bend; they connect orthogonally or diagonally as long as each letter is adjacent to the next.
  • The spangram names the category and always touches two opposite sides.

Yesterday’s puzzle (#564) for reference

  • TUNE, SCALE, CHORD, THEORY, RECITAL, TECHNIQUE
  • Spangram: PIANOLESSONS

If you’re closing in on the spangram but stuck, map the theme first: place the shortest, most obvious entries (like the seed and grain today), then use remaining letter clusters to lock in the longer nut-based milks. That usually exposes the spangram’s turns.