NYT Strands Answer Today #770 — Sunday, 12 April 2026
Welcome to the BriefLedger guide for NYT Strands #770, Sunday, 12 April 2026. Today’s puzzle has a satisfying theme that should click once you find your footing. To keep things fair, hints come first and the full answer is held until after the spoiler warning — so scroll at your own risk.
NYT Strands Hints for 12 April 2026 (No Spoilers)
Need a nudge without giving the game away? Here are five hints for today’s Strands puzzle:
Hint 1 — Theme: Today’s theme is “Get ready!” Think about the rituals people perform before heading out the door.
Hint 2 — Vanity clue: The in-game clue is “Sit at your vanity.” Picture yourself in front of a mirror.
Hint 3 — Word types: All theme answers are verbs — actions you take on your hair, face, or appearance.
Hint 4 — Letter range: Theme answers range from 4 to 8 letters. One is particularly short; one is particularly long.
Hint 5 — Spangram: The spangram is a two-word phrase joined together. It describes exactly where all this preening happens. Start with the I that sits three letters from the right on the top row and wind your way down.
Still need a little help finding words to unlock those in-game hints? Try spotting: THEM, YORE, GORY, HERE, MEAT, RUIN, RUSH, MINT, ROOM, STIM, BEAT, BEAR, BEAU — any four-letter-or-longer word you find earns you a hint from the game.
Still thinking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Last chance to look away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NYT Strands Answer for 12 April 2026
Today’s theme: Get ready!
Theme answers: BRUSH, COMB, GROOM, PREEN, PRIMP, STYLE, BEAUTIFY
Spangram: INTHEMIRROR
All seven theme words are grooming verbs — the everyday actions of tidying, smoothing, and polishing your appearance. PREEN is the most evocative of the bunch: it originally described birds cleaning their feathers with their beaks, and the word crossed into human use to describe self-satisfied preening in front of a glass. PRIMP, meanwhile, traces back to the idea of making oneself neat in a fussy, particular way. The spangram INTHEMIRROR ties everything together neatly — and rather elegantly for a Sunday.
How Did We Do Today?
Today’s Strands lands at a comfortable medium. The theme reveals itself quickly once you land on BRUSH or COMB, but BEAUTIFY is the kind of longer word that hides in plain sight, and the spangram’s winding path through the grid can catch you off guard. Share your score in the comments — did you crack it without hints, or did the vanity clue give it away?
For yesterday’s answers, check out our NYT Strands answer for Saturday, 11 April 2026. And if you’re on a puzzle streak, our Wordle answer for today is also live — see how today’s word compares for difficulty.
For more gaming coverage, our review of Aether Iron is worth a read if you fancy something meatier than a daily puzzle this weekend.
NYT Strands FAQs — 12 April 2026
What is the NYT Strands answer today, 12 April 2026?
The theme answers are BRUSH, COMB, GROOM, PREEN, PRIMP, STYLE, and BEAUTIFY. The spangram is INTHEMIRROR. All answers relate to the grooming theme “Get ready!”
How hard is today’s NYT Strands puzzle, 12 April 2026?
Medium difficulty. The core theme is fairly accessible once you spot the first couple of verbs, but the spangram INTHEMIRROR requires a bit of patience to trace through the grid.
Abi has been writing about gaming, sports, puzzles, and UK entertainment since 2019. She covers everything from game reviews and festival previews to your daily Wordle hints — always from a British perspective.
