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September 5, 2026#916archive

NYT Strands — September 5, 2026

Looking for today's NYT Strands? →

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's grid is full of casual nicknames for various animals.

Hint 2 of 5

Every non-spangram word is a shortened, informal way people refer to a specific creature.

Hint 3 of 5

One entry is a clipped name for a small parakeet; another is slang for a large African pachyderm with a horn.

Hint 4 of 5

The spangram is the general word for any animal, formal or informal.

Hint 5 of 5

Look for BUDGIE, CHIMP, CROC, GATOR, HIPPO, PEKE, RATTLER and RHINO, all spanned by CRITTER.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

Theme

Informally known as

Spangram

CRITTER

Theme words

BUDGIE · CHIMP · CROC · GATOR · HIPPO · PEKE · RATTLER · RHINO

This puzzle by the numbers

Spangram length
7 letters
Theme words to find
8

Counted from our own archive of NYT Strands answers — not published anywhere else.

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.