NYT Strands Hints and Answers for Friday, January 30 (game #698)

Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day in your time zone – meaning some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you want a Thursday puzzle instead and click here: NYT Strands Hints and Answers Thursday, January 29 (game #697).
Strands is the latest NYT word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s a lot of fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my tips for Strands.
SPOILER ALERT: Information about today’s NYT Strands is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (match #698) – tip #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… We are not lost…
NYT Strands today (match #698) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these names to unlock the in-game hint system.
- DENT
- BEND
- SLAM
- LAMP
- NATURE
- FIRST
NYT Strands today (match #698) – tip #3 – spangram letters
How many characters are in today’s spangram?
• Spangram has 11 characters
NYT Strands today (match #698) – tip #4 – spangram position
What two sides of the board are affected by today’s spangram?
First side: top, 5th column
The last part: right, line 7
Of course, the answers are below, so DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEMSELVES.
NYT Strands today (match #698) – answers
The answers to today’s Strands, game #698, are…
- LANDMARK
- BEACON
- COMPASS
- ATLAS
- SEXTANT
- STAR
- SPANGRAM: FINDYOURWAY
- My rating: It’s easy
- My score: It’s complete
There was no getting lost with this direct search, but it was fun to navigate the board all the same.
If I was allowed just one book on a desert island I would choose an ATLAS, not because it would help me figure out where I was in the world but because I find looking at maps endlessly fascinating.
That said, I am also aware of how maps distort the true reality of our planet, such as the proximity of Greenland to certain nations and its size. To investigate this I would like to recommend a website called True Size (thetruesize.com), which allows you to see the actual location of US states and territories in relation to the rest of the world. As someone who lives in the UK – in a place that is often portrayed as much bigger than it really is – it’s a humbling job.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands Answers (Thursday, January 29, match #697)
- A HERO
- PHOTO
- A SUPERSTAR
- YOU ARE STILL KNOWN
- MAN
- SPANGRAM: CLAIMTOFAME
What are the NYT Strands?
Strands is the less popular NYT word game, the successor to Wordle and Connections. It is now a full member of the year-old NYT Games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I have a full guide on how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips to solve it, so check it out if you’re struggling to beat it day by day.



