Get ready for a new challenge with the NYT Strands puzzle game! Each day at midnight, a fresh puzzle appears – meaning some are on today’s game while others tackle yesterday’s. If you missed Monday’s puzzle, click here for hints and answers.

Strands joins the NYT’s lineup of word games like Wordle and Spelling Bee, promising great entertainment while posing a challenge. Check out my tips for tackling Strands, and explore more word-based fun with NYT Connections and Quordle. For the viral favorite, Marc’s Wordle has you covered.

Today’s NYT Strands theme is “Attention all shoppers”. Play words like MUTEM, TIME, BOLT, GRAB, CITE, and TROT to unlock hints. The spangram hint for today is “Large items” touching the left and right sides of the board.

Avoid spoilers! If you’d rather solve it yourself, skip ahead. The answers for game #345 are: GARDEN, BEAUTY, HOME, BATH, KITCHEN, TOYS, ELECTRONICS, with the spangram “BIG BOX”.

Do you enjoy creating with BIG BOXes like many kids do? Share your experience and score in the comments. Let your imagination run wild with the possibilities! If yesterday’s answers interest you, they were: CHIPS, NUTS, FRUIT, CHEESE, POPCORN, GRANOLA, with the spangram “SNACKTIME”.

Not familiar with Strands? It’s NYT’s latest word game, now officially released. Find it on the NYT Games site for a daily mental workout. If you need help mastering it, dive into my complete playing guide for tips and strategies.