Today’s puzzle theme is “That’s Branding.” From swooshes to shells, here’s how to crack the code — and find the spangram.
Today’s NYT Strands Puzzle Theme
Theme: That’s Branding
Clue: Company images
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle (#587) dives into the world of famous brand logos — those instantly recognizable symbols that define global companies. If the theme has you stumped, we’ll guide you through step-by-step with hints, clue words, and final answers.
What Is NYT Strands?
For those unfamiliar, Strands is a word-hunting puzzle where you find hidden words based on a daily theme. The challenge? You must use every letter on the board, and one of the answers is a spangram — a word or phrase that spans the board, linking left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally.
Clue Words (to Unlock In-Game Hints)
You can reveal theme answers by first finding any three words of four letters or more. Here are a few that worked today:
- SELL
- ICON
- BULL
- CONES
- ARCH
- WOOSH
- ICONIC
Try any valid words you spot — once you hit three, the game gives a theme word automatically.
Theme Words (Non-Spangram Answers)
These answers all point to well-known brand logos — think instantly recognizable shapes or symbols tied to global companies:
- PEACOCK (NBC)
- SHELL (Shell Oil)
- APPLE (Apple Inc.)
- ARCHES (McDonald’s Golden Arches)
- SWOOSH (Nike)
- BULLSEYE (Target)
These answers vary in length and direction, so look closely for diagonals and corners!
Today’s Spangram
🟦 Spangram: ICONICLOGOS
- It begins at the I in the top-left corner of the grid and winds across and down.
- This phrase ties the puzzle together — each brand image mentioned is an iconic logo.
Puzzle Summary
Today’s Strands puzzle was a visual thinker’s delight — if you recognize corporate symbols, you likely breezed through. Struggling solvers may have been tripped up by indirect clues like “arches” or “swoosh,” which require you to connect words to brand visuals, not company names.
The NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 11 (#587) centers on famous brand symbols. The theme is “That’s Branding,” with answers like APPLE, PEACOCK, and SWOOSH. The spangram is ICONICLOGOS, tying together all the visual identifiers used by major companies.
