NYT Strands #953 answer & hints: Monday, October 12, 2026

Updated: Monday, October 12, 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 #953 of Monday, October 12, 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 (October 12, 2026)

1Understanding the theme

The official clue is “In a manner of speaking”. There are 5 theme words plus the spangram.

2First letters of the theme words

D, J, L, P, V

Strands answers — October 12, 2026 (#953)

★The spangram

TURNOFPHRASE (12 letters).

★All of today's Strands answers

Spangram: TURNOFPHRASE
Theme words: DIALECT, JARGON, LINGO, PARLANCE, VERNACULAR

The puzzle, explained

# NYT Strands Solution Today's spangram "TURNOFPHRASE" perfectly nails the theme "In a manner of speaking"—it's literally about the different *ways* we talk and express ourselves. The theme words are all synonyms for distinctive styles of language: DIALECT, JARGON, LINGO, PARLANCE, and VERNACULAR each describe how specific groups or regions speak. VERNACULAR is probably the least obvious one here since it's the most formal and academic-sounding of the bunch, even though it just means the everyday language of ordinary people in a place. They're all just different turns of phrase, really—different linguistic flavors that make communication unique.

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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 (185 puzzles) → · How to play Strands (spangram tactics) →