October 3, 2026#944archive
NYT Strands — October 3, 2026
Hints — one at a time
Hint 1 of 5
Today's grid is full of words for things that aren't really there.
Hint 2 of 5
Every non-spangram word describes something illusory, imagined, or hard to pin down as real.
Hint 3 of 5
One entry is a mythical hybrid beast made of parts from different animals; another is what you might see shimmering on a hot desert highway.
Hint 4 of 5
The spangram names a ghostly light said to lead travelers astray at night.
Hint 5 of 5
Look for CHIMERA, ILLUSION, MIRAGE, PHANTASM and SPECTER, all spanned by WILLOTHEWISP.
The answer — spoilers!
Reveal the full answer
A figment of your imagination
WILLOTHEWISP
CHIMERA · ILLUSION · MIRAGE · PHANTASM · SPECTER
This puzzle by the numbers
- 12 letters
- 5
Counted from our own archive of NYT Strands answers — not published anywhere else.
