In today's puzzle, there are nine theme words to find (including the spangram). Hint: The first one can be found in the top half of the board. Here are the first two letters for each word: Today's spangram answer on Friday, January 31, 2025, is FIRSTWORDS.

The New York Times' Strands puzzle is a daily game where players find themed words and a spangram on a letter grid. Today's theme is "Baby talk", the spangram is FIRSTWORDS, and the words are YUCKY, MAMA,

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns.