If today’s Strands puzzle has you tied in knots, relief is just moments away.

The New York Times’ latest word game hides a carefully themed puzzle inside a compact maze of letters.

You can connect letters in any direction (up, down, sideways, or diagonally), but each can be used only once.

The only guide is the puzzle’s cryptic title.

Find three non-themed words, and you’ll unlock a helpful hint. Piece them all together, and you’ll discover the “spangram”, a theme-defining word or phrase that stretches across the entire board.

Below, you’ll find helpful hints and solutions to unlock the entire puzzle.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Banding together

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Individuals who collaborate to create and perform in a musical ensemble or show.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today’s spangram is ARTIST.

NYT Strands word list for 21-October-2025

  • Encore
  • Headliner
  • Merchandise
  • Opener
  • Stage

See Also

Explore more daily puzzles and NYT game solutions.