Strands Answers — October 28, 2026

    The theme, spangram, and all answers for this day’s Strands.

    Daily brief

    Strands

    Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    pending

    Updated

    Today's hints

    Today's verified puzzle data is not available yet. Spoiler-safe hints will appear after the source checks complete.

    Strands Puzzle

    Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    Puzzle Theme

    Comedy club

    Total Theme Words: 5

    Puzzle Grid

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    Solver Results

    Theme Words Found:

    • BURLESQUE
    • FARCE
    • IMPROV
    • SKETCH
    • SLAPSTICK

    Spangram:FUNNYBUSINESS

    The spangram is the word that touches two opposite sides of the board.

    The Strands spangram for Wednesday, October 28, 2026 was FUNNYBUSINESS, with the theme “Comedy club”.

    Automated analysis

    This Strands puzzle, themed "Comedy club," leaned toward the harder side on structure, though the theme itself was approachable. The spangram, FUNNYBUSINESS, runs thirteen letters, which is longer than the recent average of eleven point four across the last thirty archived days. It also stretches four letters beyond the longest theme word, BURLESQUE, so it has to cross a large part of the board. The theme words are a mixed group: BURLESQUE, FARCE, IMPROV, SKETCH, and SLAPSTICK. Two of them have nine letters, while FARCE has only five. The mean theme word length of seven is a bit above the recent mean of six point six. With five theme words, the puzzle has slightly fewer than the recent mean of five point six, which means fewer short finds to build momentum. Several words, such as BURLESQUE and FARCE, are fairly formal comedy terms. None of the theme words or the spangram had appeared in earlier puzzles, so there was no archive repetition to lean on. The clue is broad, but the long spangram and long words add difficulty.

    Automated analysis — generated from this puzzle's data; may contain errors.

    Yesterday's full result

    2026-10-27

    Theme
    Who ya gonna call?
    Spangram
    EXTERMINATOR
    Theme Words
    • Word
      ANTS
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      5
    • Word
      COCKROACHES
      Scrabble Score
      24
      Wwf Score
      26
    • Word
      MICE
      Scrabble Score
      8
      Wwf Score
      10
    • Word
      RATS
      Scrabble Score
      4
      Wwf Score
      4
    • Word
      TERMITES
      Scrabble Score
      10
      Wwf Score
      11
    • Word
      TICKS
      Scrabble Score
      11
      Wwf Score
      12

    Source verification

    Sources
    1
    Agreement
    single
    Confidence
    pending
    • 1: verified (0 ms)

    Checked 2026-10-28T07:30:02.254Z

    Recent answers

    • 2026-10-27 — theme: Who ya gonna call? · spangram: EXTERMINATOR · themeWords: ANTS, COCKROACHES, MICE, RATS, TERMITES, TICKS · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1160
    • 2026-10-26 — theme: Please, be my guest! · spangram: HOSPITALITY · themeWords: ENTERTAIN, HOST, INVITE, MEET, RECEIVE, WELCOME · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 680
    • 2026-10-25 — theme: Something to build on · spangram: FOUNDATIONS · themeWords: FRAMEWORK, SCAFFOLDING, SKELETON, STRUCTURE · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 861
    • 2026-10-24 — theme: Re-fresh-ing · spangram: LAUNDRYDAY · themeWords: BASKET, DETERGENT, DRYER, IRON, RACK, SINK, WASHER · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1053
    • 2026-10-23 — theme: None of your beeswax! · spangram: BUSYBODY · themeWords: EAVESDROPPING, INQUISITIVE, NOSY, PRYING, SNOOPY · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 600
    • 2026-10-22 — theme: Any relation? · spangram: FAMILYTIES · themeWords: ANCESTORS, BLOOD, BRETHREN, KINFOLK, OFFSPRING · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 766
    • 2026-10-21 — theme: On a higher level · spangram: INTHEATTIC · themeWords: BOXES, DECORATIONS, LUGGAGE, TRUNKS, YEARBOOKS · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 936
    • 2026-10-20 — theme: 🦆🦆 ... 🪿 · spangram: DUCKDUCKGOOSE · themeWords: CHASE, CIRCLE, GAME, PLAYGROUND, SELECT, WALK · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 792
    • 2026-10-19 — theme: It's all Greek to me · spangram: MYTHOLOGICAL · themeWords: DEITY, DRYAD, FATES, FURIES, MUSES, NYMPH, SATYR · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1008
    • 2026-10-18 — theme: Fast fashion · spangram: RUNNINGGEAR · themeWords: HEADPHONES, SNEAKERS, SUNGLASSES, VEST, WATCH · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1086
    • 2026-10-17 — theme: Quite the crush · spangram: FALLINLOVE · themeWords: BABBLE, BLUSH, FIDGET, GIGGLE, PERSPIRE, STUMBLE · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 692
    • 2026-10-16 — theme: Just a little bit · spangram: SMALLWORLD · themeWords: AMOEBA, ATOM, FOLLICLE, MITE, MOLECULE, PINPOINT · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 671
    • 2026-10-15 — theme: Sailor's guide · spangram: LIGHTHOUSE · themeWords: BEACON, DOME, GALLERY, LANTERN, STAIRCASE, TOWER · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1081
    • 2026-10-14 — theme: Folk & fairy tale twosomes · spangram: ONCEUPONATIME · themeWords: BEAST, BEAUTY, FROG, HARE, PRINCESS, TORTOISE · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 1228

    Archive statistics

    Theme Word Length Distribution
    4
    380
    5
    517
    6
    468
    7
    366
    8
    249
    9
    158
    10
    99
    11
    46
    12
    11
    13
    4
    14
    1
    15
    1
    Spangram Length Distribution
    6
    16
    7
    20
    8
    38
    9
    49
    10
    72
    11
    66
    12
    43
    13
    46
    14
    23
    15
    13
    16
    4
    Orientation Split
    Unknown
    390
    Average Non Theme Word Count
    949.7

    How this brief was computed

    Hint classes: computed

    Generated lines used: 0

    Verification run: 20261028T074502Z

    ← Browse all past Strands answers

    How Strands Works

    Strands is a word search game within a 6x8 grid of letters. Players must find words that fall under a specific theme.

    • The board must be filled entirely to complete the puzzle - no words overlap
    • Each game includes a challenge word called the "spangram" that touches two opposite sides of the board
    • All words must be at least 4 letters long
    • Words can be formed by connecting adjacent letters (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally)

    More Strands help

    Strands Tips & StrategyStrands Archive

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the spangram in NYT Strands?

    The spangram is a special word in Strands that spans from one side of the board to the opposite side. It's usually related to the puzzle's theme and is highlighted in yellow when found. Every Strands puzzle has exactly one spangram.

    How do I play NYT Strands?

    Connect adjacent letters (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) to form words related to the daily theme. Find all theme words plus the spangram to complete the puzzle. The entire board must be filled with no overlapping words.

    How many words are in a Strands puzzle?

    Each Strands puzzle typically contains 6-8 theme words plus one spangram. The exact number varies daily but all words must fit together to fill the entire 6x8 grid without overlapping.

    Strands strategy & tips

    Start from the theme, anchor on the spangram

    Every Strands board has a theme (shown as the day’s clue) and one spangram — a special word or phrase that touches two opposite sides of the grid and sums up the theme. Finding the spangram early is the fastest way in, because it confirms what the theme really means and frees up the rest of the board.

    Read the clue literally and figuratively. Strands clues are often puns, so “The ears have it” might point to parts of an ear or to homophones of “hear.” Decide which reading the board supports before you start tracing words. Our Strands tips guide covers spangram-hunting in more detail.

    How letters connect

    Words are formed by connecting adjacent letters — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — and a single letter can bend the path in any direction. Every letter on the board belongs to exactly one theme word or the spangram, with no leftovers and no overlaps, so the grid is effectively a perfect packing puzzle.

    Because there are no spare letters, a letter you can’t fit into any obvious word is a strong signal you’re missing a longer or less obvious theme word.

    Use the hint system on purpose

    Found a valid English word that isn’t a theme word? It’s not wasted — every three non-theme words you find unlocks a hint that highlights where one theme word lives. If you’re stuck, deliberately hunting ordinary words is a legitimate way to earn a hint and break the logjam.

    This makes Strands forgiving: there’s no penalty for guessing, only progress toward hints, so explore freely when the theme isn’t clicking.

    Scan the board efficiently

    • Look for long words first — theme words are often 6+ letters, and long words eat up more of the board, leaving fewer ambiguous letters.
    • Work from the corners and edges inward; edge letters have fewer neighbors, so their possible words are easier to enumerate.
    • Once you place the spangram, the letters it consumes split the remaining board into smaller regions you can solve independently.
    • If two theme words seem to compete for the same letters, the longer interpretation is usually correct (no letter goes unused).

    When you’re truly stuck

    Re-read the theme and brainstorm a list of words that fit it before touching the board — then look for those words’ letters rather than scanning blindly. If a word you’re sure fits the theme won’t trace on the board, it’s the wrong synonym; Strands wants the specific set the setter chose.

    A new Strands publishes daily at midnight Eastern with a fresh theme and spangram — and you can revisit any earlier board in the Strands archive.

    More NYT puzzle help