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.

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It’s like talking to a brick wall

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

• BOUT
• TURN
• BURL
• WILT
• BORN
• SING

• Spangram has 10 letters

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

The answers to today's Strands, game #852, are…

• OBSTINATE
• STUBBORN
• WILLFUL
• FIRM
• HEADSTRONG
• SPANGRAM: NOTBUDGING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“It’s like talking to a brick wall”. I know exactly what that feels like, thanks to growing up with a father to whom all of today’s words could apply — I’d add a few more, given the space.

Perhaps this is why I found the search an easy one, despite a couple of well-hidden words and a spangram that defied the normal top-to-bottom, side-to-side routine.

Far harder was searching the board afterwards for non-game words.

• BECHAMEL
• MARINARA
• SRIRACHA
• TERIYAKI
• TZATZIKI
• SPANGRAM: GETSAUCY

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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.