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NFL Thanksgiving Day: How to Watch, Stream Giants vs. Cowboys on Fox, Patriots vs. Vikings on NBC and More

Thanksgiving is a time for football, with the Giants and Cowboys game available in 4K.

The NFL this season has played the bulk of its Thursday night games on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, but this week we get a triple-header of Thanksgiving fun. The Bills held off the Lions to take the day’s first matchup, while the second game of the day will be an NFC East showdown as the Giants head to Texas to take on the Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) on Fox.

As spotted by The TV Answer Man, this Giants/Cowboys game will be broadcast in 4K on a variety of cable providers such as DirecTV and Verizon Fios, streaming services like YouTube TV (assuming you have the 4K add-on) as well in the Fox Sports and Fox Now apps (assuming you log in to a TV provider).

Finally, NBC closes out the festivities with the Patriots on the road against the Vikings at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT) on NBC.

Here’s what you need to know to watch and stream the games, and our recommendations for the best ways to watch the rest of the 2022 NFL season, including RedZone, week in and week out without cable.

What are my streaming options for NFL games in 2022?

Paying for cable is the easiest solution, but not the cheapest. For cord-cutters looking to save some money, NFL football streaming options can get complicated, with games played across three different days and nights each week on different channels and streaming services.

Most NFL games are played on Sunday, with a game each week on Thursday night and another each week on Monday night. On Sundays, games start at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) and 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. ET), with most AFC teams on CBS and most NFC teams on Fox.

Although the first Thursday night game was on NBC, the rest of the games for Thursday Night Football (with the exception of Week 12’s Thanksgiving Thursday games) will be shown on Amazon Prime Video. Unlike last season, Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football and the games are no longer available on Fox or NFL Network, though the games will be available on TV in teams’ local markets.

As in previous seasons, Monday Night Football games will be on ESPN.

All five of the live TV streaming services carry ESPN and Fox, and all but Sling TV carry CBS. All but DirecTV Stream carry NFL Network. For the games on CBS and Fox, keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS and Fox in your area.

In addition to Prime Video, there are three other streaming services that cord-cutting NFL fans should consider. The paid Premium plan of Paramount Plus will show CBS games on Sundays, and the paid Premium plan of Peacock will show NBC’s broadcasts of Sunday Night Football.

Wait, there’s one more streaming service to consider for the remainder of the year. Prior to the season, the NFL launched a new streaming service for watching games on your phone or tablet — no casting to your TV. In past years, you could do this for free with the Yahoo Sports app, but now you’ll need to pay $5 a month or $40 for the season for the NFL Plus subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl — again, only on your phone or tablet.

Lastly, there’s NFL RedZone, a channel that springs to life each fall and shows live NFL action during the Sunday afternoon games. It pops in and out of the live games and attempts to show each touchdown scored in each game. RedZone is available as an add-on on four of the five major live TV streaming services — all but DirecTV Stream.

Best for everything: YouTube TV ($65)

Our pick from the last two years remains our go-to choice in 2022.

At $65 per month each, YouTube TV checks all the NFL boxes. Local channels CBS, NBC and Fox are included in many markets, and ESPN and the NFL Network are also included so you can watch Sundays and Monday nights. The next best options are FuboTV and Hulu Plus Live TV; both offer the same channels as YouTube TV for NFL fans, but for $70 a month.

Want to follow your fantasy team with RedZone? That’s available on all three services as part of an add-on. If you’re a YouTube TV subscriber, you can add the $11 per month Sports Plus add-on by clicking on your profile and going to Settings, then the Membership tab. FuboTV subscribers can go into My Profile and choose Manage Add-ons to get its $11-per-month Sports Plus with NFL RedZone offering. And Hulu users can now add RedZone for $10 per month with its Sports add-on.

Both YouTube TV and FuboTV allow three people to watch at once (Hulu allows two live streams) and all three have apps on nearly every mobile device and major streaming platform, including Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Roku and Apple TV.

While all three are largely similar, we like YouTube TV for its superior DVR — unlimited storage compared with 30 hours on FuboTV and 50 hours on Hulu. We also like YouTube TV because it gives you an option to stream in 4K for an extra $20 a month. FuboTV does, too, with its $80-a-month Elite plan. Keep in mind that only Fox and NBC offer 4K NFL broadcasts; CBS and ESPN do not.

DirecTV Stream offers the main broadcast channels for NFL games, but it starts at $70 per month and lacks NFL Network and RedZone.

Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plan for $55 a month gets you ESPN and the NFL Network, and, in select major markets, Fox and/or NBC, but you’ll still lack CBS. You can also add RedZone for $11 per month with the Sports Extra add-on.

The cheapest way to stream NFL RedZone

A frequent fan-favorite method of following all the NFL action on Sundays, RedZone is a way to catch every big play around the league. The cheapest road to RedZone is to get Sling TV Blue for $40 per month and add the $11 per month Sports Extra add-on.

This option can also be streamed on a host of devices including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and web browsers.

Note: If you only subscribe to Sling’s Orange package you won’t be able to get RedZone in Sports Extra. Your base package needs to be either Sling Blue or its larger Sling Blue Plus Orange bundle for you to be able to get RedZone as an add-on. If you choose the latter, the Sports Extra add-on is more, $15 per month, as you will also get additional channels like the SEC Network, ACC Network and PAC 12 Network.

If you mainly plan to watch on a phone, you can also check out RedZone Mobile, which is in the NFL app. This is a separate subscription from NFL Plus and runs $35 for the season (which breaks down to around $7.78 per month for the roughly four-and-a-half months of regular season football). While this is one of the cheapest ways to get RedZone, be aware that — similar to NFL Plus — you will not be able to AirPlay or Chromecast it onto a larger screen and will need to watch on your phone.

Budget alternative for NFC fans in big cities: Sling Blue ($40) or antenna ($20 one-time)

Those looking to save some cash might want to check out Sling Blue for $40 a month. While it lacks ESPN, meaning you’ll miss out on Monday Night Football, in select markets you’ll be able to get Fox and NBC. The catch is that those markets are mainly in big cities, so if you live outside one of those areas, Sling Blue might not be for you.

You can also add RedZone through the company’s $11 per month Sports Extra add-on.

Fox broadcasts most NFC games on Sundays, while NBC has Sunday Night Football. CBS, which broadcasts the bulk of AFC games, isn’t included on Sling at all. But an antenna can fill those local channel gaps without a monthly charge.

Budget alternatives for AFC fans: Paramount Plus (or an antenna)

There are some apps that offer CBS’ slate of Sunday AFC games live, including Paramount Plus’ Premium tier for $10 per month. Depending on where you live, however, your local CBS station (and those NFL games) might not be available. CBS offers livestreaming services in many markets; you can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.

An antenna is another option for getting CBS. And as we mentioned above, an over-the-air antenna connected to your TV provides another option, no streaming or monthly fee required, as long as you have good reception.

Thursday Night Football: Amazon Prime Video

In past years, Thursday Night Football games were shown on Prime Video but were also available on Fox or NFL Network. This year, starting Week 2, the games on Thursday nights are available only on Prime Video, giving NFL fans more incentive than free two-day shipping to sign up for an Amazon Prime account for $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to Prime Video for $9 a month.

What about Sunday Ticket?

For one more season, NFL Sunday Ticket is still largely limited to DirecTV satellite subscribers. While that is expected to change in 2023, those who live in buildings that can’t add a satellite dish can already get a streaming version to watch football starting at $294 for its To Go package for the season, or $396 for a Max package that includes the RedZone channel (a student version is also available at a discount). You can check your address on the Sunday Ticket site. Both packages have a one-week free trial.

With the season at the halfway point, those prices have dropped to $220.47 for the To Go option and $281.97 for Max.

The problem here, however, is that even if you’re eligible, it doesn’t include local games. You can only watch Sunday games that aren’t being broadcast on CBS, Fox or NBC in your area. They also won’t be helpful come playoff time — as you’ll need your local stations and ESPN to catch all those games.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, April 7

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 7.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has a kind of meta clue, with 3-Down, which asks for a word describing someone who’s «in need of a hint.» You might be in need of a few hints — I found the clue for 5-Across especially oddly worded and tough to decipher. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Price to pay
Answer: COST

5A clue: The five unique letters of THE AREA HERE, fittingly
Answer: EARTH

6A clue: Uncomfortable thing to witness a couple do in public
Answer: ARGUE

7A clue: Gwen ___, Spider-Woman’s alter ego in the «Spider-Verse» movies
Answer: STACY

8A clue: Give a tug
Answer: YANK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Magna ___
Answer: CARTA

2D clue: Instrument played at the ballpark
Answer: ORGAN

3D clue: In need of a hint
Answer: STUCK

4D clue: Nonbinary pronoun
Answer: THEY

5D clue: Difficulty level for a newbie gamer
Answer: EASY

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

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Technologies

Best Family Phone Plans for 2025

Switching phone plans can be overwhelming. We’ve filtered out the noise and bold claims. Here are our top family phone plan picks from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Our Experts

Headshot of Patrick Holland
Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET’s I’m So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple | iPhone | iOS | Android | Samsung | Sony | Google | Motorola | Interviews | Coffee equipment | Cats Credentials

  • Patrick’s play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Headshot of Eli Blumenthal
Eli Blumenthal Former Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal was a senior editor at CNET covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
Expertise 5G | Mobile networks | Wireless carriers | Phones | Tablets | Streaming devices | Streaming platforms | Mobile | Console gaming

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If you’re looking for a new family phone plan, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Each carrier has its own selection of plans with a host of perks and fine print. There are also upgrade deals to consider and combing through features you actually need. Many family plans come with perks like free Netflix, extra hotspot data or international roaming making comparing plans an absolute headache. But we’ve picked the best plans for three or more lines from T-Mobile and Verizon (though we didn’t pick any from AT&T). Whether you want to upgrade phones or just find the best deal, we found the best family phone plans for you.

Best family phone plans for 2025

Best family plan for value

Pros

  • T-Mobile’s 5G network, plans includes 50GB of regular high-speed data in the US as well as the ability to use phones as a hotspot

Cons

  • Hotspot is limited to «3G speeds»
  • Canada and Mexico data are at even slower «2G» speeds
  • The Essentials Saver plan isn’t always easy to find and everyone needs to be on the same plan

Because T-Mobile restructured its cheapest plans, this has gotten a bit more complicated. As mentioned above, both T-Mobile Essentials and Essentials Saver include unlimited talk, text and data for all the carrier’s base unlimited plans, including 5G access. 

In short, if you need two lines, Essentials Saver is your best pick, while those looking for three or more lines may want to go with regular Essentials. 

Two lines of Essentials Saver run $80 a month, while a similar offering from Verizon costs $110 a month, and a similar deal from AT&T runs $122 a month. Three lines will also run $90 at T-Mobile for its regular Essentials thanks to a promotion, compared with $120 at Verizon (for Unlimited Welcome) and $138 at AT&T (for Unlimited Starter SL). The four-line option is now back to $100 at T-Mobile thanks to some promotions and is a bit cheaper compared with $120 at Verizon and $144 at AT&T.

Make sure to go with T-Mobile’s «Essentials 4 Line Offer» to get the four lines for $100 per month deal and not the regular Essentials (which is $105 per month).

If you’re comparing prices on multiple carriers’ websites, keep in mind that Verizon’s pricing by default factors in a switching promotional discount of $180 over three years for Unlimited Welcome, or $540 if you’re getting Unlimited Plus. In either case, it’s assuming you aren’t also getting a new phone when you switch. 

To get the real numbers of Verizon’s plans make sure to add $5 a line to its Welcome prices and $15 a line for Plus. Our pricing above removes the BYOD device credit. Our pricing here also assumes no perks from Verizon. 

As for T-Mobile, its prices also come with a couple of caveats: Unlike the carrier’s Go5G or Magenta plans, taxes and fees aren’t included in any of these Essentials prices, making the final total a little higher. All the deals also require that you set up AutoPay and paperless billing.

As mentioned, you may need to click «see more plans» on T-Mobile’s site to get this option to appear. 

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Best plan for perks

Pros

  • Verizon’s 4G LTE network is a strong backbone
  • You can still get perks
  • You can mix and match plans

Cons

  • No access to Verizon’s fastest 5G networks
  • No set amount of high-speed data
  • No hotspot data
  • Lower savings on upgrades to new devices
  • Verizon makes the pricing complicated on its website

This is a bit more complicated. Verizon used to be our pick with its Play More plan that bundled in the Disney bundle (ad-free Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu with ads) and services like Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade into the plan’s sticker price. 

Now the carrier has updated its wireless plans to remove perks like the Disney bundle or Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass from being automatically included with its service. Even with its new plans, it’s still our pick for best perks, but this will require a bit more explanation. 

Instead of automatically putting services in, it now offers a variety of perks at $10 a month per perk, allowing you to pick and choose what you want. It also now allows its lower-cost plan, known as Unlimited Welcome, to participate. 

Unlimited Welcome runs $65 a month for one line or $120 a month for four lines. You get unlimited talk, text and data, but you don’t get access to Verizon’s fastest 5G networks (what it calls «5G Ultra Wideband») or hotspot data. For that, you will need to step up to its pricier Unlimited Plus plan ($80 for one line, $180 for four lines). 

Both the Welcome and Plus plans include the ability to add perks at that $10 per month rate. This includes the Disney Bundle (normally $15 a month), Apple One individual (normally around $17 a month), Apple Music Family (which can be shared with five people and normally runs $17 a month) and Walmart Plus (normally $13 a month but also includes Paramount Plus Essential). 

There are also other perks including an additional 100GB of hotspot data (normally $45 a month), 2TB of Verizon’s cloud storage (normally $15 a month), three days of international data (what the carrier calls TravelPass, normally $10 a day). 

All perks can be turned on or off at will, and you could forgo them entirely. You can even go with multiple perks on a single line. 

Whether this makes sense for your situation may require some time with a spreadsheet going through what services work for you and what you’re willing to pay for them. The savings could add up if you’re paying for some of these services directly, but it also could be more expensive than your existing plan.

It’s also worth mentioning that Verizon allows you to «mix and match» lines, so if not everyone needs the faster 5G connectivity, they could be on Unlimited Welcome, while the one who does can go on Unlimited Plus. 

AT&T allows something similar with its unlimited plans, but at the moment it no longer offers any streaming perks. To get T-Mobile’s perks, everyone has to be on the same plan. 

If you wanted a cheaper way to save on one or two services like the Disney bundle, you could have four lines for $120 a month, add the Disney perk for $10 and pay $130 a month for the whole package. 

Oh, and you can also combine these plans with Verizon’s other discounts for teachers, nurses, military and first responders to save a bit more. 

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Runner-up for perks

Pros

  • T-Mobile has a strong 5G network
  • Taxes and fees are included in the sticker price
  • Solid perks include Netflix and international data

Cons

  • Magenta plans are harder to find on T-Mobile’s website
  • The best new device upgrade deals are limited to pricier options like Go5G Plus or Go5G Next

T-Mobile’s new plans are also a bit complicated. For most people, T-Mobile’s Magenta and Magenta Max options are the better pick when it comes to looking for perks for one or two lines. They’re cheaper than the new Go5G options and have most of the same features, except with a cheaper monthly rate ($70 for one line on Magenta, $120 for two lines; $85 for one line on Magenta Max, $140 for two lines). 

You get less hotspot and international data with a Magenta plan compared to a Go5G option, and Magenta Max users also don’t get the same ability to upgrade to a new device after two years while taking advantage of T-Mobile’s «new customer» deals. 

Thanks to T-Mobile offering a free third line on its Go5G options, those plans become cheaper and a better value compared to the Magentas if you need three or more lines.

Among the benefits of Magenta and Go5G ($75 a month for one line, $155 a month for four lines) are unlimited international data (albeit at slow «2G speeds») when traveling in over 210 countries, an hour of in-flight Wi-Fi on several airlines, T-Mobile Tuesdays weekly giveaways, the bundling of Netflix’s Standard with Ads plan (which is $7 a month) and six free months of Apple TV Plus. 

Its pricier Magenta Max and Go5G Plus ($90 a month for one line, $185 a month for four lines) plans keep the Netflix Standard with Ads plan, include a full subscription to Apple TV Plus, ups the hotspot data from 15GB on Go5G to 50GB per month on Go5G Plus, adds 5GB of high-speed international data and gives you unlimited Wi-Fi on a host of flights including those from American, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United. Go5G Plus also has 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, compared to 10GB on Go5G and 5GB on Magenta and Magenta Max. 

Unlike its Essentials plans discussed earlier, T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees with the pricing of its Magenta and Go5G plans.

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T-Mobile Essentials iPhone 16 offer

Pros

  • T-Mobile’s 5G network and iPhone 16 phones for each line
  • Plans include 50GB of regular high-speed data in the US and the ability to use phones as a hotspot

Cons

  • Hotspot is limited to «3G speeds»
  • Canada and Mexico data are at even slower «2G» speeds
  • The deal isn’t always easy to find
  • Everyone needs to be on same plan
  • Taxes and fees aren’t included, unlike other T-Mobile plans

Note: You need to switch to T-Mobile and have an eligible trade-in.

T-Mobile’s switcher offer is once again very tempting if you’re looking to switch to the carrier and need new devices. You get four lines of its Essentials plan and four new iPhone 16 models for $100 monthly. You can find it by scrolling down the carrier’s Apple deals page.

As always, there is some fine print to be aware of. Here is what that is. 

Like other carriers, you need to commit to being with T-Mobile for 24 months (which is better than AT&T and Verizon’s respective 36-month installment plans). Leaving early loses you the credits and leaves you on the hook for the balance owed. You must also have at least four lines and trade in an iPhone 11 Pro or newer to get the full value for the deal. Older phones, like an iPhone 6 or 7, will only get you partial credit off an iPhone 16 ($415 off per line). 

T-Mobile’s Essentials plan also doesn’t include perks like Netflix or bundling in taxes and fees. You also will be on the hook for $35 a line «device connection» charges. These are one-time fees the carrier charges as part of activation. They’re also fairly standard across the major carriers. 

This is still a good deal, particularly if you have three- or four-year-old iPhones and are already considering switching. Each iPhone 16 retails for $830 per device most providers won’t give that type of credit for an iPhone 12. 

Verizon has its own, similar free iPhone offer, but that deal gives you the iPhone 15 instead of the iPhone 16. AT&T has no four-line deal that bundles in free iPhones. 

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Verizon iPhone 15 Unlimited Welcome deal

Pros

  • Verizon’s 4G LTE network is a strong backbone
  • You can still get perks
  • You can mix and match plans
  • Don’t need to trade in an old phone

Cons

  • No access to Verizon’s fastest 5G networks
  • No set amount of high-speed data
  • No hotspot data
  • Lower savings on upgrades to new devices later on
  • Online only

Note: You need to open four new lines on Verizon.

Verizon’s offer doesn’t give the latest iPhone to new users, its deal isn’t a bad one if you are looking to switch providers and need a few upgrades.

The deal itself: Sign up for four new lines on Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan and you get four 128GB iPhone 15 for $120 a month. All the lines need to be new, the deal is online only, and you need to set up automatic payments and paper-free billing. Taxes and fees are also not included, but on the plus side, you don’t need to trade in any older device to get the offer.

Similar to other free device offers, this deal will get you monthly bill credits towards the cost of the iPhones dished out over 36 months. If you leave Verizon early, you will be on the hook for whatever balance is still owed.

As mentioned above, Unlimited Welcome is Verizon’s new base plan and includes unlimited talk, text and data, but you don’t get access to Verizon’s fastest 5G networks (what it calls «5G Ultra Wideband») or hotspot data. You can also add perks like The Disney Bundle or Apple One for $10 a month, per perk.

Verizon, like other carriers, has other device deals for those switching to its pricier Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate options, and it does let you «mix and match» plans where some lines can be on the cheaper Welcome and others on the pricier plans.

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Factors to consider: Know your area

As we covered in our other wireless guides, to get the best deal you need to make sure you have the coverage that you need. This makes it hard to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. T-Mobile’s service in New York may be excellent, but if you’re in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable. 

Your mileage may vary, but the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players race to blanket the US with 5G. It’s quite possible that you left a network complaining about its sparse service a decade ago, but now it’s beefed itself up because of that race to acquire customers.

If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you’re considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier’s store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile’s Network Pass. Verizon offers a similar 30-day «Test Drive» program, while AT&T has recently introduced its own 30-day eSIM free trial option for sampling its network.

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How we test

Picking a wireless plan and carrier is a very individualized process. What works for you and your family’s needs may be vastly different from your friends or neighbors. Even geographically, some areas have better AT&T coverage while others work best on Verizon or T-Mobile (and vice versa). The picks we make are based on over a decade of covering and evaluating wireless carriers, their offerings and overall performance. 

In particular, we take into account the following:

1. Coverage
2. Price
3. Value
4. Perks

Coverage

Since all three major providers blanket most of the country with good 4G LTE or 5G, this is largely a toss-up on a macro level and why we recommend a variety of eSIM options for figuring out what works best for you in your particular location so you can best decide what is right for you. Looking at coverage maps on each provider’s website will likely show whether you can get good coverage even if your experience isn’t full bars or the fastest speeds.
This is also why with prepaid plans, we specify which network each prepaid provider uses as they sometimes make that a bit difficult to figure out.

Price/Value

Value is factoring in the total experience you might get, such as how much high-speed data you get and what’s included in the sticker price.

Perks

Perks are add-ons beyond the core components of wireless service (talk, text and data). This could range from bundling in or discounting streaming services to extra hotspot data or the ability to use your phone internationally.

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Wireless plan FAQ

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 7, #400

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 400 for April 7.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Today’s NYT Strands puzzle cracked me up. If you’re a fan of the fantasy genre, you’ll recognize plenty of the answers for today’s puzzle right away. It also reminded me of Cabin in the Woods, a horror-comedy film. If you need hints and answers, read on.

Need a refresher on how to play Strands? I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Half-and-half.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Creative critters.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • REMIND, MIND, COLA, RATS, FAIR, TEAR, RATE, RIND, TINE, MINE, FIRE, RIFF, PEACE, BRIT, BRIM, FIRER, RICE, PEND.

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • SATYR, MERMAN, CENTAUR, GRIFFIN, JACKALOPE.

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is HYBRIDCREATURE.  To find it, start with the H that starts off the first row up at the top left, and wind over, down and across.

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