In case you’re searching for hints and solutions for Strands for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, learn on—I’ll share some clues and suggestions, and at last the answer to the puzzle with the theme “People & fairy story twosomes.”
For a straightforward solution to come again to our Strands hints on daily basis, bookmark this page. It’s also possible to discover our previous hints there as properly, in case you wish to know what you missed in a earlier puzzle. (In case you play Wordle or Connections, try our hints for these video games, too.)
Beneath, I’ll offer you some indirect hints at in the present day’s Strands solutions. And farther down the web page, I’ll reveal the spangram and the solutions. Scroll slowly and take simply the hints you want!
Credit score: Strands/NYT
Trace for the spangram in in the present day’s Strands puzzle
How most traditional fairy tales start.
Trace for the theme phrases in in the present day’s Strands puzzle
Characters within the titles.
BEWARE: Spoilers observe for in the present day’s Strands puzzle!
We’re about to offer away the solutions to in the present day’s Strands puzzle.
What’s the spangram in in the present day’s Strands?
At the moment’s spangram is ONCEUPONATIME.
What are the theme phrases in in the present day’s Strands?
The theme phrases in the present day are BEAUTY, BEAST, TORTOISE, HARE, PRINCESS, FROG.
Right here’s what the board appears to be like like when the puzzle is solved:
Credit score: Strands/NYT
How I solved in the present day’s Strands
I’ll search for phrases in two-part fairy story titles, like “Jack” and “Beanstalk” or perhaps “Hansel” and “Gretel.”
I could make BEAN and BEANS within the higher left, however not BEANSTALK. Oh, it’s BEAUTY. 🔵
BEAST, its counterpart, is close to the underside proper. 🔵
FROG is under BEAST. 🔵 That should go along with PRINCESS. Yep, that one is under BEAUTY. 🔵
HARE is under FROG. 🔵 Now to seek out TORTOISE. It’s within the higher proper. 🔵
What do you assume thus far?
It appears to be like like all the remainder of the letters make up the spangram: ONCEUPONATIME. 🟡
Strands #955 “People & fairy story twosomes” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡
play Strands
You will discover the Strands recreation on the New York Occasions web site and within the NYT Video games app.
If you begin taking part in, you’ll see a recreation board with an assortment of letters, flanked by a clue that provides a touch on the board’s theme—this can be a phrase, like “Higher with age.” Your job is to seek out the hidden phrases inside the board that replicate the puzzle’s theme.
A crossword crossed with a phrase search
Crucial phrase to seek out is the “spangram,” a phrase that extra explicitly states the puzzle’s theme. (For instance, the spangram for the puzzle with the theme “Higher with age” is FERMENTED, which describes merchandise which are, you guessed it, higher with age.) The spangram will span the whole recreation board, both from left to proper or high to backside (therefore the identify). If you discover the spangram, it will likely be highlighted in yellow. Fixing the spangram normally makes the remainder of the puzzle a lot simpler to finish.
In Strands, phrases can journey any course (up, down, left, proper, and diagonal), and you’ll solely use every letter as soon as. There is just one appropriate answer. If you appropriately determine one of many puzzle’s phrases (for instance, KOMBUCHA, MISO, or KIMCHI), it will likely be highlighted in blue.
In case you are struggling to resolve the puzzle, you possibly can submit any non-theme phrases you see (so long as they’re 4 letters or extra) to obtain credit score towards a single trace. In case you submit three non-theme phrases, the “Trace” button can be clickable; when you click on it, all the letters in one of many theme phrases can be highlighted for you. You’ll nonetheless must hyperlink these highlighted letters in the precise order to kind one of many theme phrases. If there’s already a touch on the board and you employ one other trace earlier than fixing for that phrase, that phrase’s letter order can be revealed.
win Strands
In contrast to Connections and Wordle, you can’t fail Strands. If you submit guesses, you’ll both appropriately determine a solution, obtain credit score towards a touch, or the textual content will shake backwards and forwards, indicating that the phrase you submitted is just too brief or not legitimate. You’ll be able to’t run out of guesses, and there’s no time restrict.
You win while you’ve appropriately used all of the letters on the board, which means that you’ve recognized the spangram and all the theme phrases. Like different NYT video games, upon fixing the puzzle, you will note a shareable card that signifies the way you carried out that day: blue dots 🔵 point out theme phrases you discovered, the yellow dot 🟡 signifies while you discovered the spangram, and a lightbulb 💡 signifies phrases that you simply acquired a touch for.
Not the day you are after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.