NYT Strands Hint & Answer Today
Quite the crush
Look for words related to
Nervous, conspicuous reactions that can accompany attraction to someone you find compelling 💘
Strands Spangram Today
Runs left to right
What phrase means developing a strong romantic attachment to another person?
Strands Answers
#958 - Saturday, October 17th, 2026
| Word | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| A crush can make someone talk nervously and nonsensically. | |
| A crush can bring a rush of color to someone's cheeks. | |
| Feeling nervous around a crush can make someone restless. | |
| A crush can make someone laugh shyly or nervously. | |
| Nerves around a crush can cause someone to sweat. | |
| Nervousness around a crush can make someone trip over their words or feet. |
How Hard Is Today’s Strands?
#958 - Saturday, October 17th, 2026
The clue is playful rather than explicit, but the words form a recognizable set of crush-induced reactions.
Next Strands update in
This page rolls to the next day for everyone at midnight Eastern.
Updated Oct 14, 2026, 8:22 PM EDT
Stuck on today's NYT Strands? You'll find help here without wrecking the puzzle. Below are spoiler-free hints for Strands #958, laid out so you can take just the nudge you need and get back to the board: the theme clue first, then a hint toward the spangram, then the first letters of each theme word. If the hints aren't enough, today's full answers — spangram included — are waiting at the very bottom behind a reveal, so you'll only see them when you choose to. We refresh this page every day at midnight Eastern.
Today’s Strands theme
Every Strands puzzle hangs on a single theme, and knowing what to look for is usually the breakthrough. Today’s theme is:
“Quite the crush”
Still not clicking? Here's a gentler nudge in plain language: Nervous, conspicuous reactions that can accompany attraction to someone you find compelling 💘. Keep that idea in mind as you scan the board — once you know the category, the hidden words start jumping out.
Today’s Strands spangram hint
The spangram is the star of every Strands puzzle: a theme word or phrase that stretches from one side of the board to the opposite side and sums up the whole theme. Find it and the rest of the grid tends to fall into place.
Today’s spangram hint: What phrase means developing a strong romantic attachment to another person? — it's ten letters long and touches the left and right edges of the board.
Want to confirm it? Reveal the spangram in the section above — the word itself stays hidden until you tap each letter or choose “Reveal Spangram.”
Hints for today’s theme words
Sometimes you just need to know where to start. Here are the first letters and lengths of today’s theme words, without spelling them out:
| Theme word | Starts with | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | 6 letters |
| 2 | B | 5 letters |
| 3 | F | 6 letters |
| 4 | G | 6 letters |
| 5 | P | 8 letters |
| 6 | S | 7 letters |
Clue words to earn in-game hints
Here's a Strands-specific trick most players miss. You don't have to find theme words to get help — the game hands you a hint for every three non-theme words of four or more letters you spot on the board.
- ABLE
- BABE
- DEVI
- EDGE
- FELL
- GIFT
- GIGS
- GILT
- GIST
- GIVE
- GUNS
- GUST
Today’s Strands answers
Spoiler warning: everything below reveals today’s solution, including the spangram. Only read on if you're ready.
The theme words for Strands #958 (October 17, 2026) are listed in the Strands Answers section above, traced on the board so you can see exactly where each word sits. Tap a word to follow its path, or browse the full list when you're ready — the spangram is FALLINLOVE.
Theme words & why they fit
| Word | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| BABBLE | A crush can make someone talk nervously and nonsensically. |
| BLUSH | A crush can bring a rush of color to someone's cheeks. |
| FIDGET | Feeling nervous around a crush can make someone restless. |
| GIGGLE | A crush can make someone laugh shyly or nervously. |
| PERSPIRE | Nerves around a crush can cause someone to sweat. |
| STUMBLE | Nervousness around a crush can make someone trip over their words or feet. |
Difficulty: Medium (Easy to Hard). The clue is playful rather than explicit, but the words form a recognizable set of crush-induced reactions.
Yesterday’s Strands answers
Reading a little late, or comparing notes across time zones? Yesterday’s theme was “Just a little bit” (Strands #957), the spangram was SMALLWORLD, and the theme words were AMOEBA, ATOM, FOLLICLE, MITE, MOLECULE, PINPOINT. For earlier puzzles, use the date picker above to jump to any past day's Strands hint & answers.
What is Strands and how do you play?
Strands is the New York Times' word-search puzzle, a twist on Spelling Bee, Connections, and the classic crossword. Each day you get a 6×8 board of 48 letters and a theme. Your job is to find every theme word — they're highlighted in blue as you trace them and never overlap — until all 48 letters are used.
- The spangram is a special theme word or phrase that touches two opposite sides of the board and captures the theme. It's highlighted in yellow when found, and it can be two words joined together.
- Earning hints: stuck? Find any non-theme word of four or more letters. For every three you find, Strands reveals the letters of one theme word — which is exactly what the clue-words tip above is for.
- No guessing penalty: there's no limit on wrong tries, so Strands rewards patient scanning over speed. Work out the theme first, hunt the spangram, and the rest usually follows.
Prefer to keep solving on your own steam? Use the hints above one at a time and only reveal the answers if you're truly stuck.
Frequently asked questions
What is today’s Strands hint?
Today’s theme clue for Strands #958 is at the top of this page, followed by a spangram hint and first-letter clues for each theme word. Each is spoiler-free, so you only see as much help as you want.
What is today’s Strands spangram?
The spangram hint is above; the spangram itself — FALLINLOVE — is revealed behind a spoiler tap so it won't spoil the puzzle by accident.
How do you earn hints in Strands?
Find any non-theme word of four or more letters on the board. For every three you find, the game highlights the letters of one theme word. Scan the grid for short valid words when you need a nudge without looking up the answer.
What time does Strands update?
NYT releases a new Strands puzzle at midnight in your timezone. This page rolls to the next day's hints and answers for everyone at midnight Eastern.
Where can I find past Strands answers?
Yesterday’s solution is above, and you can open any earlier day with the date picker — each date has its own Strands hint & answers page.
Strands is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.