#390Friday, March 28, 2025
Strands answers for March 28, 2025 — “Wise ones” (#390)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for March 28, 2025 (puzzle #390) is GUIDINGLIGHT, a 12-letter answer to the theme "Wise ones". The 5 theme words are ELDER, PHILOSOPHER, SAGE, THINKER and VISIONARY.
Where is each answer on the March 28 Strands board?
The full answer set for puzzle #390 is 5 theme words and one spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 6 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELDER | 5 | row 1, column 6 | row 4, column 4 | diagonally across the grid |
| PHILOSOPHER | 11 | row 1, column 1 | row 5, column 2 | top to bottom |
| SAGE | 4 | row 7, column 2 | row 7, column 1 | diagonally across the grid |
| THINKER | 7 | row 7, column 4 | row 8, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| VISIONARY | 9 | row 6, column 4 | row 2, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
| GUIDINGLIGHT | 12 | row 8, column 3 | row 2, column 4 | bottom to top |
What did the March 28 Strands grid look like?
Puzzle #390 is played on 48 letters arranged in eight rows of six.
Spangram — 12 letters5 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads P-L-I-G-H-E, row 2 reads I-H-G-T-L-Y, row 3 reads O-L-N-E-D-R, row 4 reads O-S-I-R-S-A, row 5 reads P-R-D-I-I-N, row 6 reads H-E-I-V-O-N, row 7 reads E-S-U-T-I-K, and row 8 reads G-A-G-H-E-R.
How hard was the March 28 Strands puzzle?
Strands #390 scores above average on our difficulty index, harder than 62% of every Strands puzzle published so far.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the March 28 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #390 was edited by Tracy Bennett, who also constructed it. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the March 28 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on March 28, 2025?
The Strands clue for March 28, 2025 is “Wise ones”, on puzzle #390. It is answered by the spangram GUIDINGLIGHT, and all 5 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on March 28, 2025?
The 5 Strands theme words for March 28, 2025 are ELDER, PHILOSOPHER, SAGE, THINKER and VISIONARY, plus the spangram GUIDINGLIGHT.
What was the big word in the March 28, 2025 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for March 28, 2025 is GUIDINGLIGHT, 12 letters long, running from row 8, column 3 to row 2, column 4. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “Wise ones” mean?
The Strands theme “Wise ones” for March 28, 2025 means GUIDINGLIGHT — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 5 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands March 28, 2025?
Strands puzzle #390 has 5 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the March 28, 2025 Strands puzzle?
Strands #390 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 62% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on March 28, 2025?
The Strands puzzle published on Friday, March 28, 2025 is #390, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in March 2025, part of the full Strands archive.