NYT Strands #936 answer & hints: Friday, September 25, 2026

Updated: Friday, September 25, 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 #936 of Friday, September 25, 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 25, 2026)

1Understanding the theme

The official clue is “1✖️1, etc ... ”. There are 5 theme words plus the spangram.

2First letters of the theme words

E, F, N, T, T

Strands answers — September 25, 2026 (#936)

★The spangram

SQUARENUMBER (12 letters).

★All of today's Strands answers

Spangram: SQUARENUMBER
Theme words: EIGHTYONE, FOUR, NINE, THIRTYSIX, TWENTYFIVE

The puzzle, explained

Today's puzzle nailed the elegance of perfect squares—numbers that result from multiplying a whole number by itself, which is exactly what the spangram SQUARENUMBER tells you. The theme words are all products of that multiplication: 9 (3×3), 25 (5×5), 36 (6×6), 81 (9×9), and FOUR (2×2). The trickiest one to spot is probably EIGHTYONE since 81 is a two-digit number that doesn't *look* obviously perfect like FOUR or NINE do, even though it's just 9 squared—a great way to keep solvers on their toes!

Next in today's routine: Spelling Bee → · every game's answers on one page. New puzzle daily at midnight US Eastern Time (5am UK). Bookmark this page for tomorrow's hints. Or play Strands on the official site.

More of today's puzzles

LinkedIn puzzles

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) →