#925

NYT Strands hints & answer

Strands is a daily hidden-word search on a letter grid: trace chains of touching letters to find words tied to a secret theme, plus one special "spangram" that stretches across the whole board and names the theme itself. Non-theme words you find along the way unlock hints.

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✅ Updated today · September 14, 2026

Compiled by the AAH7 Editorial Team · checked against the sources below · last checked September 14, 2026 · how we test

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's grid is full of reactions to something startling or surprising.

Hint 2 of 5

Every non-spangram word describes an involuntary response to shock or fright.

Hint 3 of 5

One entry means to suddenly stop moving from fear; another is a sudden intake of breath.

Hint 4 of 5

The spangram is the exclamation you'd blurt out when something catches you off guard.

Hint 5 of 5

Look for EXCLAIM, FREEZE, GASP, RECOIL, SHUDDER and START, all spanned by THATSSHOCKING.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

Theme

OH MY GOSH!!

Spangram

THATSSHOCKING

Theme words

EXCLAIM · FREEZE · GASP · RECOIL · SHUDDER · START

A tall Strands-style board six tiles wide, mostly blank, with two highlighted rows: a pink one spelling FLOWER right across the board and a shorter amber one spelling ROSE — On the Strands board the theme word and the shorter answers are traced straight through the letters. Example board, not today’s puzzle.

FAQ

Is this the NYT Strands answer for today?

Yes — this page always shows our latest NYT Strands entry (#925), dated 2026-09-14, and it updates every morning. Earlier days are archived and linked below.

Are the hints spoiler-safe?

Hints are progressive and hidden behind a tap — open them one at a time and stop as soon as you've got enough. The full answer stays hidden until you open it separately.

How do you make sure the answer is correct?

We cross-check every daily answer against at least two independently published sources before publishing — see how we test for the full process.

Previous days

Want the strategy, not just today's answer? Read the full daily puzzle lineup.