NYT Strands · The New York Times
Today's Strands Hints, Spangram & Answers #974 for November 2, 2026
Monday, November 2, 2026 · Puzzle #974
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
Here are the hints and the answer for NYT Strands on Monday, November 2, 2026 (puzzle #974). Strands hides a set of themed words in a grid of letters; a theme clue points the way and a special "spangram" stretches across the board to name the theme. Work through the hints in order and reveal the answer only when you are ready.
Today's Strands theme
High and mighty
Today's Strands hints
From a gentle nudge to the spangram's first letter. Tell us whether each one helped.
Hint 1Word count
Hint 2Spangram length
Hint 3Theme-word lengths
Hint 4Spangram start
Today's spangram
The spangram stretches from one side of the board to the other and sums up the theme. It has 11 letters.
Today's Strands answers
Reveal theme words one at a time, or open the full list.
Spangram: MOUNTAINTOP
Theme words: PEAK, SNOW, CLIFF, RIDGE, SADDLE, SUMMIT, GLACIER
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Yesterday's Strands answer
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · #973
Spangram: ZZZZZZZZ
Theme words: DOZE, SLEEP, CATNAP, DROWSE, SIESTA, SNOOZE, SLUMBER
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- ContextoFind the secret word by meaning, not spellingToday · Nov 2 · #1506
How Strands works
The board is a grid of 48 letters. Drag through adjacent letters (up, down, sideways or diagonally) to spell words. Words that fit the theme light up blue, and when every theme word is found, every letter on the board has been used exactly once.
The spangram is the star of the puzzle: it touches two opposite sides of the board and describes the theme in one or more words run together. It lights up yellow.
If you're stuck, find non-theme words of four or more letters. Every three of them fills the hint meter, and a hint outlines the letters of one theme word for you to unscramble.
Strategies that work
- Decode the clue first. Theme clues are often puns. Say it aloud, think of a second meaning, and list a few words that might fit before touching the board.
- Hunt for the spangram early. Because it spans the whole board, finding it splits the grid into smaller, easier regions and confirms what the theme really is.
- Work the corners and edges. Letters in corners have only three neighbours, so the words that use them are easy to pin down.
- Look for awkward letters. A lone Q, J, X or Z has to belong to some word, so follow it.
- Bank hints. Spotting a few ordinary words along the way builds hints you can save for the final, toughest word.
Strands FAQ
What is a spangram?
A theme word (or phrase without spaces) that runs from one side of the board to the opposite side and sums up the theme. Every puzzle has exactly one.
How many words are in each Strands puzzle?
Usually six to eight theme words plus the spangram, using all 48 letters between them.
When does the new Strands come out?
A new board appears at midnight in your local time zone.
Do your hints show the letters on the board?
No. We start with word counts and lengths, then the spangram letter by letter, and finally the theme words. Each one stays hidden until you click.