Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Coarse material" — is pretty easy to decode, but is not without its challenges. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #417,

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.