NYT Strands #925 answer & hints: Monday, September 14, 2026

Updated: Monday, September 14, 2026 · Hints reviewed by Omer Liban · New puzzle daily at midnight US Eastern Time (5am UK). · Puzzle editor: Tracy Bennett.

This page has every level of help for the NYT Strands puzzle #925 of Monday, September 14, 2026: 2 spoiler-free hint tiers that narrow things down step by step, followed by the complete answers with explanations — each behind its own tap-to-reveal card.

Today's Strands theme got you stuck? Start with the theme explainer, then reveal first letters, the spangram, and finally the full solution.

Strands is a themed word search: find the theme words hidden in the letter grid, plus the spangram — a special answer that touches two opposite sides of the board and names the theme. Every letter gets used exactly once.

Strands hints (September 14, 2026)

1Understanding the theme

The official clue is “OH MY GOSH!!”. There are 6 theme words plus the spangram.

2First letters of the theme words

E, F, G, R, S, S

Strands answers — September 14, 2026 (#925)

★The spangram

THATSSHOCKING (13 letters).

★All of today's Strands answers

Spangram: THATSSHOCKING
Theme words: EXCLAIM, FREEZE, GASP, RECOIL, SHUDDER, START

The puzzle, explained

# Today's Strands Solution "THATSSHOCKING" nails the theme because all these words are ways your body and voice react when you're genuinely startled or appalled—they're the "OH MY GOSH!!" responses we can't help but make. EXCLAIM, GASP, and START are the obvious ones (you literally shout, cry out, or jolt), but FREEZE is the sneaky winner here—that split-second pause when shock hits you and you can't move is just as instinctive as screaming. RECOIL and SHUDDER round it out as the physical full-body reactions, the way you jerk back or tremble when something absolutely blindsides you.

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Strands — common questions

What is a spangram in Strands?

The spangram is the special theme word or phrase that touches two opposite sides of the board. It describes the puzzle's theme and always exists in every Strands puzzle.

How do I earn hints in Strands itself?

Finding three non-theme words in the grid earns one in-game hint, which highlights the letters of a theme word.

Can theme words overlap in Strands?

No — every letter in the grid is used exactly once across the theme words and spangram, which is a powerful deduction tool late in the puzzle.

Previous Strands puzzles

Full Strands archive (137 puzzles) → · How to play Strands (spangram tactics) →