HIGHLIGHTS
- Today’s NYT Strands theme is “Ode to the Aubergine,” meaning players must identify hidden words related to dishes with eggplant as their primary ingredient.
- The spangram for today is “Eggplant Dish,” which divides the puzzle equally into two halves vertically, with two words on either side.
- ST, RA, MO, and PA are the first two letters of the remaining answers for today’s NYT Strands.
Players must find hidden words by connecting adjacent letters to form complete words in NYT Strands.
Players in yesterday’s NYT Strands had to uncover seven hidden words linked to the theme “Wetland Patrol.”
Today’s NYT Strands theme is Ode to the Aubergine, meaning players must identify hidden words related to the theme.
Ode To The Aubergine Meaning In The NYT Strands
Aubergine, also known as eggplant or brinjal, is a purple, egg-shaped fruit from a tropical Old World plant, commonly eaten as a vegetable.

Today’s theme, Ode to the Aubergine, made me think it likely features a dish with eggplant as the main ingredient.
To better understand the puzzle’s theme, try finding the spangram as it will provide a broader idea of the overall topic.
Each puzzle features a spangram, a word that extends between two opposite sides of the board and is highlighted in yellow.

The spangram for today is “Eggplant Dish,” starting from the third word in the first row and ending at the third word in the last row.
Finding the spangram confirms my suspicion that the hidden words in today’s puzzle are related to dishes containing eggplant.
All Answers For NYT Strands For March 21, 2025
To complete today’s NYT Strands puzzle and achieve a perfect score, you must highlight five words, including the spangram.

Marking words that appear in the grid but are unthemed to the theme will contribute to the hint.
Players can use a hint after successfully marking three unthemed words, which will highlight the letters of one of the answers.
Multiple hints can be used within a single puzzle, provided players find words that are not related to the theme.

Here are all the words you’ll find in the NYT Strands for March 21, 2025:
- Stuffed
- Ratatouille
- Moussaka
- Parmigiana

The words above are names of dishes, each highlighting the role of eggplant in different cuisines.

