Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SAVE
• BITES
• PANG
• PASTE
• MITE
• WING

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #810) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #810, are…

• BOUNDLESS
• VAST
• EPIC
  IMMENSE
• WHOPPING
• ASTRONOMIC
• SPANGRAM: ITSBIG

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

Today’s search was for words that describe something enormous, tied together with the ironically small spangram ITSBIG.

Before properly starting today’s game I wasted a ridiculous amount of time trying to link together the word pistachio. After abandoning this quest I saw BOUNDLESS, but was still uncertain of the theme, so took a hint — which made me feel really silly for not spotting the theme.

Today’s search contains one of my most hated words in WHOPPING, which is only ever used by news reporters in connection with large quantities of money. It is such a cliched word. It is meant to indicate that the sum in question is staggeringly enormous, but if that’s the case then why do we need the word WHOPPING in front of it to tell us, surely its enormity would be evident already — after all, “one million dollars” is exactly the same as “a WHOPPING one million dollars”. It’s a very low-level irritation, I’ll admit!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, May 21, game #809)

• WOOL
• SATIN
• VELVET
• COTTON
• SILK
• DENIM
• FLEECE
• LINEN
• SPANGRAM: FABRICS

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.