Strands Answers — October 31, 2026

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

    Daily brief

    Strands

    Saturday, October 31, 2026

    ready

    Updated

    Today's hints

    Public theme clue: It's in the bag

    NAERPPDCSKALTYTICERTREATICRANGOTKOFSOTGNIRHBRUSH
    Theme-word lengths
    4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 10
    Spangram shape
    Letters
    12
    Words
    1
    Orientation
    undisclosed
    Non-theme words
    930
    Hint-earning words:
    • Word
      CYSTICERCI
      Score
      19
    • Word
      TRICKSY
      Score
      16
    • Word
      PACKERS
      Score
      15
    • Word
      TRICKSTER
      Score
      15
    • Word
      BRUSHING
      Score
      14
    • Word
      CRICKS
      Score
      14
    • Word
      ECDYSIAL
      Score
      14
    • Word
      PACKER
      Score
      14
    • Word
      PLACKS
      Score
      14
    • Word
      SNACKERS
      Score
      14
    • Word
      TEACAKES
      Score
      14
    • Word
      TRICKERS
      Score
      14
    • Word
      ANCESTRY
      Score
      13
    • Word
      CLARKIA
      Score
      13
    • Word
      CRICK
      Score
      13
    1. The published theme clue is “It's in the bag.”
    2. Look for theme words measuring 4 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 7 / 10 letters.

    Difficulty: 3

    This band is shown with every input used to compute it.

    • theme-word count
    • word-length spread
    • non-theme inventory

    Strands Puzzle

    Saturday, October 31, 2026

    Puzzle Theme

    It's in the bag

    Total Theme Words: 6

    Puzzle Grid

    N
    A
    E
    R
    P
    P
    D
    C
    S
    K
    A
    L
    T
    Y
    T
    I
    C
    E
    R
    T
    R
    E
    A
    T
    I
    C
    R
    A
    N
    G
    O
    T
    K
    O
    F
    S
    O
    T
    G
    N
    I
    R
    H
    B
    R
    U
    S
    H

    Solver Results

    Theme Words Found:

    • APPLE
    • CANDY
    • FANGS
    • RING
    • STICKER
    • TOOTHBRUSH

    Spangram:TRICKORTREAT

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

    The Strands spangram for Saturday, October 31, 2026 was TRICKORTREAT, with the theme “It's in the bag”.

    Automated analysis

    This Halloween puzzle leans on a clue, "It's in the bag," that points toward trick-or-treat contents, and the spangram, TRICKORTREAT, spells out the idea once solvers find it. At twelve letters, it runs a bit longer than the recent average of eleven point three, and it has never appeared as a spangram before. None of the six theme words has appeared in an earlier puzzle either, so nothing here would feel familiar from past boards. The theme words are APPLE, CANDY, FANGS, RING, STICKER, and TOOTHBRUSH. Some are natural treats, which fits the clue, but TOOTHBRUSH is an odd one. It is ten letters long and the longest theme word, and it is not what most people expect in a candy bag, so it could be harder to guess from the clue alone. FANGS and RING also stretch the idea of candy. The board holds six theme words, half a word above the recent mean of five point five. Their mean length is six, a little under the recent six point six, because three of them are five letters and RING is only four. That shorter average makes most words easier to trace, while the long spangram and TOOTHBRUSH add the main difficulty.

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

    Yesterday's full result

    2026-10-30

    Theme
    All charged up
    Spangram
    PLUGGEDIN
    Theme Words
    • Word
      CURRENT
      Scrabble Score
      9
      Wwf Score
      12
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a flow of electricity through a conductor
    • Word
      ELECTRICITY
      Scrabble Score
      18
      Wwf Score
      20
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons
    • Word
      ENERGY
      Scrabble Score
      10
      Wwf Score
      11
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
    • Word
      JUICE
      Scrabble Score
      14
      Wwf Score
      18
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      the liquid part that can be extracted from plant or animal tissue by squeezing or cooking
    • Word
      POWER
      Scrabble Score
      10
      Wwf Score
      11
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      possession of controlling influence
    • Word
      SPARK
      Scrabble Score
      11
      Wwf Score
      12
      Part Of Speech
      n
      Definition
      a momentary flash of light

    Source verification

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

    Checked 2026-10-31T07:30:02.391Z

    Recent answers

    • 2026-10-30 — theme: All charged up · spangram: PLUGGEDIN · themeWords: CURRENT, ELECTRICITY, ENERGY, JUICE, POWER, SPARK · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 621
    • 2026-10-29 — theme: Double, double toil and trouble · spangram: CAULDRON · themeWords: BLOOD, BUBBLE, FIRE, LIZARD, NEWT, SNAKE, TONGUE, WORM · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 735
    • 2026-10-28 — theme: Comedy club · spangram: FUNNYBUSINESS · themeWords: BURLESQUE, FARCE, IMPROV, SKETCH, SLAPSTICK · orientation: unknown · nonThemeWordCount: 718
    • 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

    Archive statistics

    Theme Word Length Distribution
    4
    375
    5
    508
    6
    467
    7
    362
    8
    244
    9
    158
    10
    97
    11
    47
    12
    11
    13
    4
    14
    1
    15
    1
    Spangram Length Distribution
    6
    16
    7
    20
    8
    38
    9
    49
    10
    71
    11
    63
    12
    43
    13
    47
    14
    22
    15
    13
    16
    4
    Orientation Split
    Unknown
    386
    Average Non Theme Word Count
    946.9

    How this brief was computed

    Hint classes: computed

    Generated lines used: 0

    Verification run: 20261031T074501Z

    ← 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