Today's NYT Strands is live for Thursday, August 20, 2026 (Puzzle #900). Stuck on today's Strands? We've got progressive hints, from gentle nudges to full solutions, so you can solve at your own pace.
How Strands Works (New Players Start Here)
Strands hides themed words inside a 6x8 letter grid. Your mission: find every word connected to the day's theme. Letters link in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and words can twist and turn. Every letter gets used exactly once.
The spangram is the key word or phrase that captures the theme and stretches across the entire board, touching opposite edges.
Need a boost? Find any 4+ letter word (even non-theme words) three times, and the game reveals a hint highlighting theme word letters.
Theme Decoder
Today's Theme Prompt: "Split superlatives"
What It Really Means
You are hunting for separate halves of familiar expressions that describe someone or something as exceptional.
Think About...
- Think of fixed expressions used as lavish compliments.
- Look for halves that become stronger when matched with another find.
- Picture praise drawn from animals, valuables, clothing, and measures.
Spangram Clues
Orientation: Left to right across the board
Letter Count: 8 letters
Starting Zone: Row 3, letter 1
Progressive Spangram Hints
Hint 1 (Gentle): Think of a direct bit of praise aimed at another person.
Hint 2 (Warmer): It is the opening of a compliment, leaving the board's other finds to complete it.
Hint 3 (Almost There): First letter is Y, last letter is E
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YOURETHE
Word-by-Word Hints
Solve as many as you can before peeking. Each word includes escalating clues.
Word 1
Vague: Workers in a hive.
Closer: Honey-making insects that live in hives.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total
Answer
BEES
Word 2
Vague: The highest-ranked choice.
Closer: The opposite of worst.
Letter Clue: Starts with B, 4 letters total
Answer
BEST
Word 3
Vague: Independent pets with whiskers.
Closer: Whiskered pets known for purring.
Letter Clue: Starts with C, 4 letters total
Answer
CATS
Word 4
Vague: A precious material associated with first place.
Closer: The yellow metal awarded to a winner.
Letter Clue: Starts with G, 4 letters total
Answer
GOLD
Word 5
Vague: Joints midway down the legs.
Closer: The joints between the thighs and shins.
Letter Clue: Starts with K, 5 letters total
Answer
KNEES
Word 6
Vague: Clothing worn to bed.
Closer: A matching sleepwear set, often a top and loose trousers.
Letter Clue: Starts with P, 7 letters total
Answer
PAJAMAS
Word 7
Vague: A benchmark used for comparison.
Closer: An accepted level of quality, or a flag carried as an emblem.
Letter Clue: Starts with S, 8 letters total
Answer
STANDARD
Word 8
Vague: An intensifier placed before an adjective.
Closer: The emphasis word in the phrase '___ good.'
Letter Clue: Starts with V, 4 letters total
Answer
VERY
Full Answers
Spangram: YOURETHE
Theme Words:
- BEES
- BEST
- CATS
- GOLD
- KNEES
- PAJAMAS
- STANDARD
- VERY
Puzzle Debrief
Difficulty Rating: Medium, with eight compact entries whose pairings are easier to recognize than the isolated words.
Trickiest Word: STANDARD is the likeliest stumbling block because it can mean a benchmark, an accepted norm, or a flag carried as an emblem.
Our Take: YOURETHE provides the shared opening, then the list clicks into four exuberant compliments: BEES with KNEES, CATS with PAJAMAS, GOLD with STANDARD, and VERY with BEST. The split construction makes ordinary standalone words feel satisfyingly transformed once their partners emerge.
