Today’s Connections-style energy is back in Connections-puzzle form: Strands is built around a single “get-up-and-go” idea, but the grid can feel tricky because the final set of words splits into two meaning groups. If you’re seeing a mix of motion-and-light vibes, you’re on the right track.
The good news: once the theme clicks, the remaining words start snapping into place. The spangram is especially helpful, because it essentially tells you which direction the story is headed.
Hints
Theme: “Get-up-and-go!” In other words, the puzzle is looking for words that describe rising, climbing, and putting energy out into the world—often in a way that suggests movement plus “showing up.”
Clue nudge: “Go up!” And while you’re there, “stand out.” That combination is a big hint that you’ll see both upward motion words and brightness/visibility words.
If you need in-game progress, here are clue words that can unlock hints while you search (any of these, if you spot them, will help you move the puzzle along): RACE, CARE, BANE, MANE, ALSO, RISE, NINE, DATE, RAID, NAME.
Two practical solving tips: (1) scan for obvious upward vocabulary first—those tend to connect cleanly into the spangram, and (2) once you find one “brightness” word, treat every adjacent letter as a potential continuation rather than restarting the search from scratch.
Answers
Here are the theme-linked words you’re aiming to find. When all of them are complete, the board is fully used.
Nonspangram answers:
SOAR
CLIMB
ASCEND
RADIATE
SHIMMER
SPARKLE
Today’s Strands spangram: RISEANDSHINE
The spangram path is the key: start with the R that appears six letters down on the far-left vertical row, then trace the word by winding down, up, and then continuing up again.
If you were stuck at the “two clusters of meaning” stage, this is the one to remember: the upward-motion words (like climbing and ascending) lead naturally into the “rise” half of the spangram, and the glow/visibility words (shimmer, sparkle, radiate) carry you through the “shine” half.
