NYT Strands #960 answer & hints: Monday, October 19, 2026

Updated: Monday, October 19, 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 #960 of Monday, October 19, 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 19, 2026)

1Understanding the theme

The official clue is “It's all Greek to me”. There are 7 theme words plus the spangram.

2First letters of the theme words

D, D, F, F, M, N, S

Strands answers — October 19, 2026 (#960)

★The spangram

MYTHOLOGICAL (12 letters).

★All of today's Strands answers

Spangram: MYTHOLOGICAL
Theme words: DEITY, DRYAD, FATES, FURIES, MUSES, NYMPH, SATYR

The puzzle, explained

# NYT Strands: "It's all Greek to me" Today's puzzle perfectly captures that phrase with MYTHOLOGICAL as the spangram—it's literally saying everything in this puzzle comes straight from Greek myth. The theme words are all figures from ancient Greek lore: DEITY, MUSES, and FATES are the heavy hitters everyone knows, while DRYAD (tree nymph), NYMPH (minor goddess), SATYR (half-man creature), and FURIES (vengeful spirits) round out the mythological roster. The trickiest one here is probably DRYAD—it's so specific that if you weren't thinking "what Greek creatures am I looking for?" you might've walked right past it, even though it's as much a staple of Greek mythology as any of the others. Really clever theming that rewards knowing your classics!

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.

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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) →