NYT Strands for June 21: A Word Puzzle Full of Zeros and Wit
If you're into word games, chances are you've dipped your toes into the New York Times' latest offering— Strands . Still in beta, this fresh take on the word search format is attracting more daily solvers, and Saturday, June 21’s edition has definitely added fuel to that fire. What makes it even more thrilling is the cleverness behind the clues and the hidden spangram, which ties all the theme words together in a satisfying “aha!” moment.
Now, for today’s puzzle, the theme clue was "Goose eggs." At first glance, that might seem a little odd, right? But once you think about it, it all comes together—“goose egg” is slang for zero . And that's exactly the trail you follow in this clever word game. My personal hint would be something like "a great absence" —because today’s answers are all about nothing . Literally.
Let’s get straight to it: the spangram , the backbone of this puzzle, was DIDDLYSQUAT . Yes, that quirky, slangy word we often use to mean “absolutely nothing.” And it’s a perfect fit here. It connects the other answers beautifully, bridging both sides of the puzzle grid like a linguistic golden thread.
Here’s the full list of answers that made up the theme:
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NOTHING
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ZERO
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NADA
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ZIPPO
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NAUGHT
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ZILCH
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BUPKIS
Every single word here is a synonym for zero—just a more colorful way of saying “nothing at all.” For seasoned solvers or even casual players, this puzzle was surprisingly quick to crack. In fact, many described it as a “speedrun.” Once you spotted zero or nada , the rest of the words practically popped out of the board. That said, a few tripped up on ZIPPO , mistaking it as unrelated until realizing it’s a valid colloquial term for “nothing.”
What makes Strands so engaging is its subtle blend of challenge and charm. The editor, Tracy Bennett, does an excellent job of varying the difficulty—sometimes offering straightforward puzzles, and other times throwing curveballs that make you stare at the screen a little longer than you'd like to admit. And today? It was a nice, breezy confidence boost before the harder ones hit later in the week.
Whether you nailed it in under a minute or took your time savoring each discovery, today’s Strands puzzle was a delightful reminder that even a theme based on “nothing” can turn into something fun. So if you haven’t given Strands a go yet, now’s the time. It's free to play, challenging enough to be rewarding, and—if today’s clever wordplay is anything to go by—it’s only getting better.
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